Lost & Found
by myboygeorge
Summary: After a devastating week, two friends of the 12th Precinct discover they're going to be parents, and along the way, discover what the word 'family' really means.  Crumbsian, to follow 'Butcher the Baker & Candle-stick Maker', M-rating for romance
1. Homecoming: 3 Weeks

_Hello all my Crumbsians! So glad to see the love is still going strong after all these stories! This one is a little different, as it's still about our favourite cops at the 12th, but it's told from Andrea Hennessey and Daniel Brick's POV. Refresher: they're two of the nurses who've helped deliver nearly all the Crumbsian babies. Read, review and share the joy!  
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><p>When Andrea and Daniel returned to their apartment, everything felt just a little different. The physical things themselves hadn't changed in a day and a half, but the atmosphere was more than a little changed.<p>

They were getting married. And, they'd discovered at one of the most inopportune times they were going to be parents.

'Andrea, you want some tea, honey?' Daniel asked her, pleased when she nodded.

'Yeah. Decaf, since I've got an extra passenger.'

Daniel blew out a breath as he turned on the electric kettle, sat down beside her at the kitchen table. 'Did not see that one coming. We're always safe.'

'But it's okay, right?' Andrea looked at him with hope in her eyes while her gut churned acid. 'I mean...I know we've both said we want kids but that was some day, after we were married and had a chance to settle into our new relationship.'

'I know that's what we said, but it looks like the universe has other plans for us.' He reached across the table, took her hand in his. He loved to hold her hands in his, so slim and lovely yet full of purpose and comfort for their patients. 'I love you, so much Andrea. It's all that love that made this little one.'

'What happens if I lose it? It's still early, it's not even a month old, Daniel. That's a real possibility. What if that affects having babies in the future? And what about the wedding? I know you wouldn't marry me out of obligation, but-' She was cut off when her fiance pressed his lips to hers in reassurance.

'Like I said,' Daniel told her, 'I love you. We will keep planning our wedding and getting ready for a baby. We will figure it out.'

'Oh, Daniel.' Andrea slipped her hand from his , and made no attempt to hide the fact she was bawling her eyes out. Her hands

fisted in his shirt as she wept, letting everything out. 'I should have known they'd try and do something like this, I knew they weren't going to just let me be happy-'  
>'Andrea Darcy, you need to stop this.' Now Daniel's voice was firm as he got up to make the tea. He dumped the herbal bags in the pot, adding boiling water to let it steep. When he turned back to her, his expression was sternly set. 'This was not your fault or mine. This was, at it's always been, their problem.'<p>

'I'm the one they always make an example of, you're just collateral to them.'

'In case you forgot this was about me too, you know. They wanted me to leave you, they still think I'm going to leave you. But I haven't, have I? I'm the one who's been there for you, whose let you cry and scream and do whatever you need to do without recrimination or insult.' Daniel paused only a moment, but he really needed to drive this point home. 'I'm the one who called our friends the cops when you didn't come home last night.'

'You're right.' Why hadn't she thought of that? 'God, I am such a suck.'

'What you are is overwhelmed and in need of sleep.'

'Right. Sleep.'

Andrea sighed, stood up; unsurprisingly, Daniel stood up with her and they headed into their bedroom. 'Daniel, I'm sorry. I've been very unfair to you, and so selfish.'

'It's been us both. I haven't been terribly great either, trying to keep you at home until this was done. I just want you safe.'

'I know, sweetie. And I am.' She giggled a little. 'I really did kick his ass, didn't I?'

'You were an Amazon. Beckett said you punched her by accident when you were winding up to slug Dominick again, even though Dominick was already unconscious. Remind me never to piss you off again,' he said with a little smile, kissing her.

'My father insisted I learn how to box in case I needed to punch a shark while we were diving.'

'A girl who looks like you and kicks ass is a tough combo to beat.'

Andrea's insides fluttered at the look he gave her; a sudden rush in her veins had her scooting close to him and kissing him, hooking her long leg over his hip. 'Daniel,' she murmured as he kissed her back, 'I need to be with you right now.'

'Of course, Andrea, what ever you need, my love.'

Andrea felt the rasp of his tongue on hers like fine sand buffing away the jagged edges of old hurts. She moaned into his kiss as it crested and dove under the wave of desire it provoked. Wrapping his arms around her, Daniel rolled to press her against the bed; when he felt her thighs shift open, her knees bracing his hips Daniel knew that this voyage wasn't even about the end achievement of release, it was about reconnecting. Her moans were a siren call that he had no desire to ignore, her body a lush fantasy he couldn't wait to lose himself in. Sounding low in his throat Daniel slid his hands under her blouse and over her ribs like the first soft caress of an incoming tide. A whimper fluttered up from Andrea as Daniel's wide hands moved higher, easily engulfing the full globes of her cotton-covered breasts. Andrea marveled at how he made the places that usually swamped her with shame drown in pleasure, like now, when he tugged the fabric of her bra down and grazed her already-stiffened nipples. The strokes of his thumbs over those secretive coral tips were as gentle as his presence in the nursery and yet caused a swell in her woman's core as strong as the full moon on the tide.

"Daniel!" Andrea cried out as he stroked her again and again, elongating the syllables of his name to show him how much she wanted, needed his touch on her body.

Daniel never paused as he used his usually-restrained strength to pull open her blouse apart, sending buttons cartwheeling across the room. Lifting slightly he watched her hips undulate in reaction before dipping his head to kiss her again. He swallowed deeply knowing he would find the sweetness of her mouth's taste mirrored between her thighs. Andrea might be terribly self-conscious over the expanse of her lower body but for Daniel her woman's body was the perfect berth for him. He finished stripping the ruined shirt from her body, peeled his own over his head, keeping his eyes hers as his fingers slipped beneath the waist band of her leggings, beneath her soft panties, where he pressed his palm to the heat that welcomed him home.

Andrea's breath caught in her throat as her eyes slammed shut in reflex. When she opened them, her eyes tracked over the hard packed muscle of his arms and chest; its rise and fall as he touched her, making her pleasure build had her biting her lower lip in greedy anticipation. Her new ring winked as her hands delicatley stroked through the smattering of blond hair over his nipples and down the treasure trail to the top of his jeans. She brushed her fingers against him, eyes going round at what she felt there - the proof that he was porportional all over peeked over the waistband with a rosy blush and Andrea was overcome with the sense of her own power as she watched his hips surge forward seeking relief. When he slipped his hands back out of her panties, she sat up, pressing a wicked kiss against his throat where his pulsed beat a jungle-drum tempo. Her light and nimble fingers tugged down Daniel's zipper; she smiled in feminine satisfaction as he groaned in response. Here she felt empowered, that she could reduce a man like her boyfriend - no, her fiance she thought with great glee - to pleasured groans and whimpers.

Moving down his body, Andrea's tongue swiped out quickly to tease her not so shy admirer before Daniel pushed back her rich auburn hair to catch to the look on her face. He inhaled on a hiss as she made quick work of his pants, pushing them down, grasping his buttocks and pulling him in for a more proper greeting. Daniel leaned back, arching his hips up so he could kick his legs free of his pants and boxers; they landed somewhere by the door of the bedroom. The gathering storm at the base of his spine had Daniel gently pushing Andrea onto her back, hands roaming over her body - he unsnapped her bra and tossed it wildly out of the way before grasping her leggings and pull them off her long legs. Attempting to gain some control he lay down on his back once more, pulled her up and over his body.

'Daniel-'

'Not yet,' he sighed. Cupping her generous curvy hips in his hands, he urged her forward so she hovered above his face, his hands moving so they full of the warm flesh of her back side. Pulling her to his mouth he feasted as he used the elegant curve of her lower back as a rudder for her movements. Andrea was wrecked, totally tossed on the sensations of his mouth seeking her trove of secrets. Her cries of his name spilled into a single incoherent scream as the shockwaves took her over the edge. Daniel caught her easing her to one side as he licked his lips and rose over her. She could see his control straining against its moorings and widened her legs to release him as his hands gently nudged her back so she was once again beneath him, wide open in welcome and he promptly slid into her.

'I love you, Daniel,' she sighed, her eyes never leaving his face.

"I love you Andrea.", Daniel gritted out as the the whirlpool of her clenching drew him inexorably closer to his own end.. His hand slipped between them to glide over her trigger like smooth glass and they both came undone in the turbulence of their climax.

Adrift in the afterglow of their lovemaking, Daniel remained nestled in the cradle of her thighs whispering soft words and gentle praise. Andrea felt a gentle stirring within and was struck with wonder as ugly voices tried to penetrate and floated away. Joyful tears welled in her smokey gray eyes, shimmering a new moon path. He smiled at the change and kissed her forehead.

'Don't cry, sweetie,' he murmured, brushing his thumbs over her cheeks when a few graceful tears slipped out.

'I'm just so happy all of a sudden,' she replied, with a giggle, then wrapped her arms around his shoulders. 'We're getting married, Daniel! And we're having a baby!'

Daniel flashed her a grin. 'Damn straight, my texty little fox.'

Andrea watched his face as he laughed with her, and felt a sudden calmness underlining her utter joy. The clouds had lifted and they headed on a new course. Be there sharks in the water or sunken treasures, it didn't matter because they would have each other as their guiding star. 'I could go for that sleep now. We can have tea later.'

When they stretched out on the bed, she let a few little tears trickle out as Daniel laid his hand over her belly, rubbed below her navel. 'Hey in there,' he murmured. 'Your mama's pretty inside out right now, and I know you're probably feeling it because she's feeling it, but there's nothing to worry about. She's the best in the world and I'll do my best to make sure both of you stay safe. Daddy's got you now.'

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><p>R&amp;R&amp;Enjoy<p> 


	2. Riding on Trains With Girls

On Saturday evening, Andrea was wrapped in her bathrobe; she stood in front of the closet, pondering her options while Daniel was shaving in the bathroom.

'Andrea, honey, are you sure you want to do this?' he asked her.

'Yeah, I am. I want to have some semblance of normalcy again and going out with friends, however new the friendships, is something that will help me feel normal. Just like you going to drink beer, play cards and lie about girls you've banged.'

Daniel laughed as he rinsed his face. Clearly, Andrea had never been to a cards' night with Richard Castle and company; as they were all family men, most of the time they were bragging about the sexual acrobatics they pulled with their wives, and even then, it was usually trumped by things like crime cases and their kids being cute. As the majority of them now knew that Daniel and Andrea were having a baby, the men were more than likely going to give him all the advice he could take.

But of course, discussing what happened on poker night was akin to giving away the ending of _Fight Club_ to anyone who hadn't seen it, so there would be no telling of what happened until after the evening was concluded.

Patting his skin dry and pulling on his shirt, Daniel walked back in to find his bride-to-be, his baby mama, on the losing end of a staring match with the selection of clothes in front of her. He walked up behind her, wrapped his arms around her. 'You should go for the red shirt and the dark jeans with the high-heel boots.'

'Can't wear high-heels now, not that I'm...' Andrea trailed off, feeling a little uncomfortable using the 'P' word yet. 'I'm having a baby,' she finished.

'Yeah, but your ass looks amazing in those jeans. In fact I do believe they were the ones you were wearing the night we made our little hitch-hiker.' He rubbed his hand over her belly. 'Are you still feeling like we made the right decision, changing the date of the wedding?'

She nodded, taking clothes off the hangers. 'I really am. It means we're going to have to change a lot of the things we originally wanted but our wedding will be beautiful no matter what.'

'The last thing I want is for you to stress about planning a wedding while you're pregnant. I don't want the baby born with a frown. Wow.' Daniel wolf-whistled at Andrea, staring at her behind. 'You're one yummy-mummy.'

'Yeah?'

'Oh yes. Promise I get to find out if you're wearing your reindeer panties later?'

Daniel wiggled his eyebrows; the first time they'd really gotten their hands on each other, he'd tugged off her pants to reveal ridiculously adorable pearl-grey panties with white cartoon reindeer on the front. He'd never let her forget it, as she'd been initially embarrassed then charmed when Andrea had seen his equally ridiculous underwear - SpongeBob Square-pants boxers.

Andrea turned around from putting on her make-up, and gave him a kiss. 'Nope. New ones. You'll get to see what they are when we get naked tonight. Love you.'

'Love you too.'

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><p>Andrea looked up as the train stopped, and she held her breath as two of the most formidable women she'd ever met came onto the train. Both were tiny, petite bombshells, one Puerto-Rican and bubbly as champagne while the other Californian and sassy, a mocha-skinned kitten with a whip. In their three-inch heels, their noses hit Andrea's armpits, and made her feel a little clunky but when they saw her, they raced over with mile-wide smiles and gave her a huge hug.<p>

'Andrea! Oh, we're so glad you decided to come tonight!' Lanie squeezed her tightly, then back off. 'Oh, that little one inside's been through enough this week already, I'll play nice.'

'I can't believe how much of an ox the doctor was, just saying it like that,' Lili added, leaning a little with the jerk of the train as it moved forward. 'You'd think he'd have a little more discretion on the off-chance that you guys didn't know.'

'I know, right?'

Lanie caught the tone of Andrea's voice. 'If you don't want to talk about it, it's okay. We're not going to be pushy.'

'No, it's...it's just so overwhelming,' Andrea admitted, combing her fingers through her hair. 'We've just started with the ideas for our wedding and all of a sudden we're planning a wedding and a nursery? It's a lot to take in.'

'Oh, trust me, sweetheart. I know. Dave and I were only living together a little while when we discovered we were going to be parents. And then I found out the day before my wedding I was pregnant with Violet.'

'Me, I found out in Meredeth's bathroom about Rosie,' Lili chipped in. She recognized the out-of-sorts light in her new friend's eyes and gave her hand a support pat. 'But nothing beats Honey-Milk when she was pregnant with Dell. That one takes the cake.'

Andrea nodded, listening to them chatter, then felt another hitch when the train stopped once more and Honey-Milk stepped on, found them. Here, Andrea felt a little more comfort, as she knew this woman the best. She, too, was petite and dainty, something Andrea never really noticed when they were at work, as Honey-Milk seemed so much bigger being in charge. Outside the hospital, though, Andrea was suddenly aware of the height-difference between them, along with the fact that she'd had two babies and still had a body like a swim-suit model. And once again, those demons faded out as her wide grin was sassy and sweet and she gave an excited little wiggle at seeing her friends.

'Hey mama!' she exclaimed, sitting across from the other women. 'How's it going, any morning sickness?'

'A little bit, but mostly I'm just hungry all the time.'

'Mere was like that, lucky girl,' Lanie said. 'Me, I was puking my guts out all the time.'

'That's rough,' Andrea said, so sympathetically it surprised her a little bit. 'I hope I don't get that.'

'Oh, by the by, Beckett and Alexis are already at Marty and Teeny's holding our table, so once we pick Mere up, we're going right there.'

'What is this place, even?'

'It's the best,' Lili replied. 'It's a martini bar but they do a full soft and hard menu, so you don't have to ask for something to be virgin if you can't drink for whatever reason. Perfect for a preggo like you, or if you're breast-feeding like my _cunada_.'

'What was it like helping her deliver the twins?' Lanie asked, switching to a topic she thought would make Andrea a little more comfortable.

'It's not as scary as you might think,' she started, then stopped when the doors opened and Andrea watched the vision that was Meredeth Esposito walk into the subway car. The woman was, in Andrea's mind, an Amazon; forget Beyonce or Crystal Renn this was the female that inspired the word statuesque. Her age-bronzed hair floated around her shoulders while her post-baby body was showcased in a warm-looking green cashmere sweater, stretchy jeans and leather boots. No wonder Daniel had a fanboy crush on her. When she caught sight of her friends, like the others, her round Danish face lit up like a sun and she gave them a happy little wave.

'Hello, hello, hello.' She gave kisses on cheeks all around, including Andrea. 'Where are Alexis and Kate?'

'Holding our table,' Honey-Milk informed her, to which Meredeth nodded and then settled back. 'Andrea was telling us about what it was like to deliver Leo and Trini.'

'Oh, yeah, what was that like? I was a little distracted.'

Andrea laughed, scratched her head. 'Just like one, only there was two.'

'That sounds like something from Confucius,' Lili commented. 'Oh, which reminds me, thank you so much for the egg-rolls for Cam, Mere, he loved them.'

'Good, I'm glad. I've never used that recipe before.'

Andrea sat back, listened to the conversation around her, figuring she could melt into the background; it was not to be as Lanie poked her ribs. 'Yoo-hoo, anyone home?'

'Sorry, what?'

'Lili asked you something,' Lanie said.

Lili recognized the signs of someone who'd drifted into their own world and giggled a little. 'I said, have you done a lot of Christmas shopping yet?'

'Oh, ah, a little bit.'

'Since you're new, you're getting the wild card for our Secret Santa,' Meredeth told her. 'It's something we do every year at Christmas dinner.'

'Meredeth has a big dinner for all of us every year on Boxing Day, and every year, there's been a new baby to coo over, and usually a pregnant woman,' Honey-Milk told her. 'In fact, the first year she had the dinner as a married lady, Dave asked Lanie to marry him at the end of our Secret Santa.'

'He did indeed,' Lanie agreed, looking at her engagement ring with wistful fondness as she remembered that night. 'How did Daniel ask you, Andrea?'

'Oh, no.' Honey-Milk shook her head. 'Let's wait until we're with Beckett and Alexis. Then we can get to some of the good stuff. Not the least of which is how that baby was made,' she said with a wink, pointing at Andrea.

Whatever the reason, whether it was the simple inclusion as one of the girls, the hormones from the pregnancy or trying to right her emotions after such a roller-coaster week, Andrea sniffled a little and waved her hand in front of her face. 'I'm sorry,' she said in a hoarse whisper. 'I'm sorry, I'm usually not this emotional, but...oh dammit.'

'Here.' Meredeth dug in her purse, fished out the bamboo handkerchief for Andrea to dab her eyes with. 'I figured this might happen, so I made sure I tucked it in my purse.'

'Thank you.' Andrea swiped the soft fabric under her eyes, felt Lanie and Lili both squeeze her shoulders in support. 'It's been such an upside-down week, and then finding out I'm...I'm having a baby, it's a little overwhelming. I feel a little stupid being so celebratory when it's not even a month, you know?'

'Andrea it doesn't matter to us if it's three days or thirty-three weeks. You're ours now, we are going to celebrate this amongst other things tonight,' Lili told her firmly, which had the other women nodding in agreement.

'It's true. We're not trying to be pushy,' Lanie explained, thinking of what she'd said earlier in the train ride, 'but we also know what you've been through in the last week and we want you to think of us as those giggly squealing girlfriends you call up after a bad day and show up with ice cream and liquor on your doorstep twenty minutes later.'

Andrea nodded, sniffled a little, but when she looked up at Meredeth, to give her back her hankie she got a jolt at not only the sympathy there but also the understanding. 'Andrea, I know what it's like to have no real family, save for one or two people. If anyone can make you feel like you're part of something special, it's these guys,' she said softly. 'So buckle up because you are in for a treat tonight.'


	3. Martini Bar Babel

When they made it to Marty and Teeny's, Andrea was feeling a little less shaky, though her head was still spinning. They made their way up to their private room that afforded them a view of the bar without the noise. Inside, Alexis and Beckett were already sipping brightly coloured beverages from their glasses, talking vividly about something. At the opened door, they both glanced up and smiled at the newcomers.

'Hail, hail, the ladies are all here.' Beckett scooted closer to Alexis to make room on the wide, plush C-shaped bench of the booth. 'Andrea, come sit by me.'

She patted the space in invitation and Andrea had to giggle. It was such a schoolyard thing to do, and yet the gesture made her laugh in appreciation. 'Thanks, Kate.'

'We already started. Alexis needed to after the day she had today.'

'What happened?' Lili asked, unbuttoning her coat.

'RJ, a bowl of chocolate sauce and a treasure hunt for Christmas presents. You do the math,' Alexis said, sipping her martini. 'All I asked was for Shane to watch him while I was in the shower. That's all, and when I get out, RJ's outside the bathroom with cocoa-covered hands and a big grin, telling me it's cookie time.'

'Bet you toasted Shane's nuggets over that one.'

'Just a little. Anyways, tonight is about celebration, not dwelling on how he's going to make it up to me,' she declared.

'Or maybe it is,' Lanie said with a wink, making Beckett choke a little on her drink.

'I don't need to think about that, it's bad enough I had to listen to Richard go on and on about it after he found out about the two of them.'

'Then go away, _Mom_ and let Alexis be one of the big girls with her naughty aunts,' Mere said matter-of-factly before offering a winning smile to the waiter who brought them drink menus. 'Hmm, wonder what I'll have, they all look delicious.'

'Last time we were here, I had the Wicked Monkey,' Honey-Milk said, perusing the alcoholic selections. 'It's banana ice cream, chocolate milk with just a little bit of cinnamon and cayenne and chocolate walnut drizzle.'

'I don't like banana. Gives me gas,' Andrea said wrinkling her nose as she looked over Meredeth's arm. 'Ooh, that one looks good.'

'Oh, the Creamsicle. Vanilla ice cream and orange juice blended with ice. Sounds delicious. I think I'll have that too.'

When the waiter came back, took their order, Andrea noticed that Lili was staring at her and she shifted a little in her seat. 'What?'

'It's just a little weird, you and Mere could be twins.'

The others looked over, studied the two women and realized Lili was right - both were tall, graceful, curvy, with thick and long flowing hair and round faces with eyes that crinkled in the corners when they smiled; more than their similar physical features, it was the cock of their heads, the way they looked up by only moving their eyes, the high pitched 'hmm?' they made when they were caught daydreaming as someone tried to get their attention.

'That is a little weird,' Beckett agreed. 'You're evening ordering the same drink.'

'Oooh, maybe you're long-lost sisters!' Lanie's eyes sparkled. 'Maybe Andrea was given up for adoption by Meredeth's mother to your father after they had a torrid and illicit affair!'

'That's enough _Desperate Housewives_ for you, Elenia,' Meredeth giggled. 'Or is it _All My Children?_'

'It's _Temptation Lane.'_

_'_Yep, that explains it. I never would have pegged you for a soaps fan, at least until I heard about that murder of the head writer on the show,' Honey-Milk commented. 'But I suppose everyone has their quirk, right?'

'Daniel thinks I'm nuts 'cause I love oceanographic documentaries,' Andrea put in, a little surprised in her own confidence, which had all the girls looking at her. She'd never been truly comfortable being the centre of attention, but these women were not the gawking sorority types. Those days were behind her, she reminded herself forcefully. 'He thinks it's insanity since we do so much diving, I'm just psyching myself out about sharks and stuff, but they're so cute.'

'You sound like Tessi and her turtles,' Beckett laughed. 'Maybe she'll grow up to be the next Cousteau.'

'Okay, enough on the babies.' Lili saw the look on Andrea's face and didn't blame her for being uncomfortable, so taking a page from her sister-in-law's book, she gave her a saucy wink. 'I want to hear about the making of baby Brick.'

'Oh, yeah.' Alexis grinned, glad there was someone else's love life that would get the interrogation. 'Practicing's always fun but nothing beats the real deal.'

'I'm not hearing this,' Beckett muttered.

'Don't be such a prude, Katie.' Meredeth poked her in the ribs. 'We're all big girls and of the seven of us, five are mommies and you're next in line for that title, and it's not like Alexis and Shane just hold hands and eat chocolate ice cream.'

'Mm, ice cream,' Andrea said with such dreaminess, the others cracked up.

'You are definitely preggo, Nurse Hennessey,' Honey-Milk laughed. 'First thing I wanted right away with Dell and Mallory both was ice cream. Chocolate for Dell, strawberry for Mally. Anyways, back to the bouncy-bouncy.'

'Before you do, no one has a better conception story than Meredeth when her and Javi made Tessi.' Lanie arched an eyebrow at her friend. 'Go on, tell the nice lady what happened to you and your hubby.'

'It was the day after Kate and Richard's wedding on the beach,' Meredeth began, as she felt Andrea's tension ratchet down another notch, 'and we were in the middle of it, and unbeknownst to the pair of us, Jenny's husband Ryan walked into the boathouse apartment to come and get us for dinner and got an eyeful of us right in the middle of making our beautiful Tessi-boo.'

'Oh no!' Andrea pressed her fingers to her lips. 'That's horrible!'

'Kev's been trying to get back at them ever since,' Honey-Milk added, sipping her Kamikaze - a blend of raspberry vodka, sake and lychee juice - and nudging Lanie. 'This lovely lady made her first baby in the clawfoot bathtub at Mere and Javi's place while they were on their honeymoon and her and Dave her puppy-sitting Arturo.'

Lanie snorted, swirled the pineapple spear in her Blue Parrot. 'Like you're one to talk, missy. You and your husband couldn't keep it in your pants at Castle's Hallowe'en party and made Dell in his upstairs bathroom.'

'So, how about it?' Lili sipped her Electric Screwdriver and batted her eyes innocently at the mama-to-be. 'How'd this little bun get in the oven?'

'I don't think I could, I'd-'

'We've adopted you and that means you're in on the girl parties, which means oversharing the details. But what are girlfriends for?' Meredeth said with her trademark wide-grin; the sight of it had Andrea giving in a little.

'I did the math and the only time we've not used protection was the night we got engaged. I mean not the only night, but the one in recent memory.'

'Was it all soft and romantic like with wine and candles and music, or was it more like, if I don't have you now to celebrate I'm going to die of horniness?' Alexis asked, relishing being one of the 'big girls' now.

'Somewhere in between. He'd asked me to marry him and we were sitting on the couch in our apartment, and we...' Andrea trailed off on a lusty sigh, eliciting 'oooohs' from the others. 'We fell into each other and it was all hot and spicy and yummy, right there on the living room floor. He, ah, even ripped my clothes off a little bit.'

'Fan me down,' Lanie said, waving a hand exaggeratedly in front of her face. 'That's hot.'

'I thought for sure you two would have made your little bub on a white-sand beach somewhere while you were on a diving trip,' Beckett commented, making Meredeth and Alexis groan.

'That could be so gross.' Ever the romantic, Alexis put her elbows on the table to rest her chin on her hands. 'I want to hear more about the proposal.'

The women all made agreeing noises, and when all eyes focused on Andrea Meredeth sense her nerves go on edge once more. 'Just do what I did when I first met them,' she hissed in a stage whisper. 'Pretend you're on a talk-show and they're the audience.'

'Really? You did that?' Beckett asked, amused; this hadn't come up before.

'Well sure, I was nervous as hell because Javi loves you like his sisters and I was the new girl-toy, you had no idea if I was going to stick around or not.'

'We knew you were going to stick, but if that's what you needed, hey it worked didn't it?' Honey-Milk shrugged, then turned to Andrea. 'I'll be Oprah, or Tyra, if you want.'

Andrea laughed, brushed her hand through her hair once more. 'I'd just gotten home from work, and it was our one-year anniversary. We had plans to go out for Japanese food later, after we'd had a chance to mellow out from a long day and we were just having a drink, talking like you do, and then he's on bended knee in front of me, asking me to marry him.'

'That's so sweet. Simple, quiet.' Lili grinned. 'Reminds me of how Cam asked me to marry him.'

'Oh?'

'Picnic in Central Park. We were over by Strawberry Fields and having a sandwich and a beer, and for dessert, he passed me a cupcake with a ring on the top.'

'Yeah, I'm not one for big noisy public displays, like how some guys do it at the

'That's what I thought, too, then Javi goes and proposes to me at my book launch in front of everyone,' Mere laughed, tapping her martini glass against Andrea's. 'I always thought those were reserved for people who had something to prove. Turns out, my hubby just wanted to show me that he was willing to face one of his own personal demons to propose to me.'

Andrea blinked. 'What could that man possibly be scared of?'

'Aside from roller-coasters and Ryan walking in on us having sex again, he can't stand public speaking.'

'How does he testify in court?'

'That's different,' Beckett explained, 'that's work related. If it's an on camera thing when Mere has an interview, different story. Then he boots like a drunk at sea.'

Andrea laughed genuinely, sipped her drink. 'Reminds me of the first time I took Daniel diving for real. He got so sick afterward.'

'Tell us,' Meredeth, Lanie and Alexis chorused; all three were pleased to see that Andrea was settling into the idea of being part of a group that genuinely wanted to hear her stories.

'Okay. So we were in Jamaica in March, we went on a diving trip for our six-month anniversary and Daniel decided to try the barbecued goat at this local restaurant...'

* * *

><p>R&amp;R&amp;Enjoy!<p> 


	4. Boy Bonding

While Andrea was getting used to the idea of girlfriends who weren't out for blood or money, Daniel found himself in the spacious loft of Richard Castle for poker night. He'd read everyone of the man's books and every time he read about Maggie and Ochoa in the Nikki Heat series, he always thought of their real-world counterparts with their babies in the hospital. Or at least now, he did. After he'd read the first one, he'd had more than one fantasy about Andrea as Maggie - sweet, smart, sexy as hell. The first time he'd taken Andrea to his gym and she'd met his personal trainer Jason who'd referred to her as a 'lobster', all Daniel could picture was Maggie giving Ochoa such grief and it made him love her a little more.

Now the real-world Ochoa was sitting beside him drinking beer and clinking together two poker chips as they listened to Ryan tell a story about Mallory and Dell. Daniel was thankful he was there, as he knew the man the best since he worked with Nurse Ryan. It was hard to think the man who just three days before had laced into a serial murderer witch such cold steel in his voice was the same one sitting here enjoying an off-hours drink while he bragged about his kids.

'Dell's so determined to help Mallory get over her fear of his needles,' Ryan laughed. 'Poor kid's going to look like a pin cushion when she's done.'

'He's brave, I'll give him that,' Castle agreed as he finished putting bottles of beer and soft-drinks into a bowl of ice. 'RJ won't even let Alexis help him wash her hands.'

'Is Shane coming to cards tonight?'

'No, he's working nights and then probably going to make-up with Alexis after the whole RJ-chocolate fiasco yesterday afternoon.'

'Don't you mean kiss and make-up,' Esposito said with a smirk.

'Laugh all you want, you're the one with two daughters, Javier. And you and Mere want one more baby which could turn out to be a girl.'

'And they will all be beautiful blushing-bride virgins, just like their Aunt Lili was.'

'You really believe that, bro?' Ryan looked at him. 'The way my son sniffs around after Tessi?'

Esposito wrinkled his brow, then nodded firmly. 'She's never allowed out of the house with him, ever. Unless she's got my clutch piece.'

'Knock it off, you're scaring the daddy-to-be,' Dave said as he walked into the loft, still in uniform with a back-pack over his shoulder. 'Daniel, not every little boy grows up to be a hound. I was a gentleman.

'You're half-Canadian, you guys are all born with that manners thing.'

'Clearly, you've never been to a Habs game. I'm going to change.'

Dave disappeared, and Ryan and Esposito wandered over to the poker table; Daniel hung back just a little bit as he watched the easy affection between the men. Being a nurse anesthetist he was a bit of an island unto himself, it was why he preferred working with Harvey so he had that camaraderie the way Ryan and Esposito had on their job.

Of course, working with Harvey usually meant working with Andrea which also presented its own unique challenges, not the least of which would be her hormones now that they were starting a family. And they were going to be planning a wedding in a very short amount of time too. There was going to be a lot of changes in the next few months.

Castle saw the look on the man's face, knew his wheels were spinning. 'So, baby and a wedding coming up, Daniel, which one will be here first?'

'The wedding. We want to be married before we're parents. The silver lining in this is that we hadn't put any money down yet for dresses or tuxed or venues yet so we don't have to worry about canceling deposits, but...there's still so much to do. It should be joyous, and I can feel Andrea's just going to stress and rush it.'

'Well...' Ryan trailed off when Dave sat down. 'There's no law that says you have to get married first.'

'Andrea's a good Catholic girl, even if her water breaks in the ceremony, she wants to be a missus before she's a mommy,' Daniel emphasized. 'And I will give my Andrea whatever she wants.'

'But you gotta stand up for yourself too, man,' Esposito reminded him. 'She didn't fall for a doormat.'

'No, she didn't. I have things I'm stubborn on too that she's bending for, and most of the time we're able to meet in the middle. If not, we find a way to work it out.'

'So does that mean that all your plans are going by the wayside?' Dave asked as he shuffled the cards.

'Yes and no. We're still going to go to Greece for our honeymoon, but we're going to after the baby's born.' When this was met with confused looks, Daniel look at the other men. 'What?'

'Why would you put that off? When are you planning the wedding for now?'

'February twenty-first.'

'And she's only about three weeks-ish now? She'll be fine to fly, and,' Esposito added with a wink, 'second trimester hormones mean you'll be a very tired, very happy man.'

'I thought that was just a myth.'

Dave burst out laughing as he dealt the cards. 'Say that around Saint Patty's, I dare you. Lanie couldn't keep her hands off me from New Year's on. Best Valentine's we ever had was when she was pregnant with Violet.'

'I think pretty much all of us agree it's some of the best we've ever had with our ladies,' Ryan added with a smug little grin. 'That on a honeymoon, you'll be lucky if you ever walk straight again.'

'What made you choose Greece?' Castle asked.

'Neither of us have been and it's got some great land and dive sites. Of course, we can't dive now, like we planned to,' Daniel frowned unsure of where this came from. He suddenly felt a very overwhelming sensation of guilt. 'God, what is this? I love Andrea and the fact we've made a baby. I want to marry her and I want to see her get all preggo-bumpy and shit. But I want to take the time to relish it all.'

'Then I know you're not going to want to hear this but put the wedding off.' Ryan glanced at his cards, tossed them face down on the table. 'I know it's a lot to deal with, believe me, but you don't want to have a huge 'what if' hanging over your head. Believe me I've been there.'

'No.' Daniel said, with a stubborn shake of his head. 'No, I can't put off the wedding like that, it's not want Andrea would want.'

'Are you sure man?' Esposito asked. 'You're allowed to have a say in your own wedding.'

'What I want is to see Andrea in a white dress with flowers and the ring I picked out for her. I want to wear the tux with the flower in the buttonhole and I want to hold her in my arms and dance with her on our wedding night.'

'That's sounds beautiful, bro,' Dave said softly. He'd considered all these things when he and Lanie had decided to put off the wedding until after Carey had been born and he knew the look in Daniel's eyes, as he'd seen it in his own when he'd looked in the mirror while making this decision.

'We are going to get married February twenty-first,' Daniel continued in his take-no-prisoners tone, 'we are going to Greece on our honey-moon and while we can't dive, I'm sure we can snorkel on the surface. Besides, diving in Greece was only one part of the trip, and who's to say that couldn't be a one-year anniversary trip? And we could have a six-months anniversary party instead of our wedding where we wanted to have it.'

The men around the table said nothing, as there was no need; they were all thinking the same thing. Like themselves, he would do whatever it took to make Andrea's dream come true. Cards forgotten, Castle stood up, grabbed them all a fresh drink.

'Then in that case, we better get cracking. We've got a lot to do in a short amount of time. Flowers, photographer, food.'

'I don't understand.' Daniel looked around.

'Part of being adopted by us means that you are not alone in planning events like this,' Dave explained. 'I figured this out pretty damn quick listening to Lanie when Meredeth and Javier were planning their wedding. And rest assured that the girls are going to do the same thing to Andrea tonight too.'

'Actually there's going to be lots of dirty locker-room talk, _then_ the wedding. I know my bride,' Esposito said on a shrug. 'She's very persuasive. I bet if you asked really nicely, she'd do a Heart of Chelios wedding cake for you.'

'A what of what cake?'

'Heart of Chelios, it's this angel-food cake and strawberry concoction, guarantees you'll get lucky.'

'Oh, who is that friend of Alexis' that did all the photography for our wedding? She did yours and Castle's and Dave's too?' Ryan asked.

'Sloan Machado, she's really good. She's going to be the headliner photographer at the Tribeca Arts Festival next summer,' Castle informed them. 'What about tuxes, Daniel, and ushers?'

'I haven't really thought about it. My brother, and the ring bearer could be my nephew, maybe two others?' Daniel suggested. 'Andrea and I both agreed we want Cozumel blue for the colour for our wedding. And white flowers, lots of tropical stuff. She's a big fan of frangipani and orchids.'

'Hang on.'

Castle disappeared, the reappeared a few minutes later with the Smart-board from his office. He turned it on, began to write down the ideas they were tossing around in a little spreadsheet. 'Frangipani, orchids, what about hibiscus?'

'Sure.'

'Okay, that's an idea on flowers. Now let's talk food. Do you or Andrea have any allergies?'

'Not food allergies, no.'

'Okay. Obviously, Lanie's planning on coming to the wedding, right? She's highly allergic to shellfish so lobster, crab, shrimp, et cetera are out of the question. Would you prefer buffet or sit-down for your entree?'

'Buffet would be easier if we've got little kids like Dell and Tessi and Carey and Rosie there,' Ryan pointed out.

'Yeah, but there's a lot of wasted food with buffets,' Dave reminded him.

As the two descended into a pro-con buffet debate, Daniel glanced over at Esposito while Castle simply continued to write on the board. 'Is this how you guys usually plan for things like this?'

'Oh yeah. We started with my partner and never stopped,' Esposito nodded. 'You should have seen what they did when Meredeth was pregnant with Leo and Trini. And these are busy people, they only do this for the ones they really care about.'

When he saw Castle write the word 'music' as its own heading, Daniel felt himself get into the spirit a little more. 'I have the perfect song for Andrea and I for our first dance.'

* * *

><p>R&amp;R&amp;Enjoy!<p> 


	5. At Work & Home

_Hello everyone! Are you all still trying to recover from all those twists and turns in the finale? I know I am and this story about Dandrea definitely helps! Enjoy!_

* * *

><p>'Hey Andrea, glad to see you back!'<p>

Andrea glanced up from tying her sneakers in the locker-room at Whitney Andrews, one of the other nurses in pediatrics. 'Hey, Whit, how's it going.'

'I should be asking you that.'

'It's a better Monday than last week,' Andrea joked, making Whitney crack a smile.

'I'm so sorry about what happened with Kailey. Really. You have to know I-'

'I know you had nothing to do with it. You never put me down like she did.'

Whitney blew out a breath. 'Okay. Okay, good, I'm glad. You wanna grab lunch together today if we can? I'm sure you could use a friendly ear to talk.'

'I'll take the lunch date, but as for the chatting about it, no thanks. I'm...I'm all chatted out about it after last weekend.'

'For sure. You've got the west half of the wing, I'll take the east.'

'You got it.'

Andrea stood up, blinked as she felt a little light-headed. She knew it was all part and parcel of being pregnant but it didn't stop it from feeling weird. Making sure she was steady on her feet, she left the locker room and headed for the nurses station to pick up her charts to begin doing rounds.

She was half-way through when she felt the queasiness hit, more irritating than anything else and she kept going with taking her patient's temperature and writing notes on her chart. With a reassurance to the young girl she was fine, just a touch of upset stomach, Andrea made it out of the room and breathed a little fresh air in the hallway. It was the hand-lotion, she realized, that the patient had been using that had gotten to her. Another cliche hit, she thought, pregnant ladies can smell everything.

By the time she was through her initial rounds and sitting at the desk doing her paper work, she felt her phone buzz in her pocket and she pulled it out to read the quick note from Daniel.

_About to go into 4-hour appendectomy. Lunch when I'm done?_

She typed back, _you're on. Love you, texty_.

_Love you too, baby (and baby), you're pretty texty yourself_, was the message she received back and it made her giggle. They always used that word, texty, as a little tease to each other, had since they'd begun dating. More importantly, whether it was to make her feel a little more comfortable or just because he was who he was, he'd texted the love you to them both.

'Now that's a sight I like to see.'

Andrea glanced up, saw Honey-Milk there in her festive scrubs - white with strings of multi-coloured lights - and grinned. 'Lunch date with my baby daddy.'

'How sweet. I haven't mentioned it to anyone, only those in our little family, by the way,' Honey-Milk said. 'I mean, it's possible it might have gotten out that you're-' she silently mouthed the word _pregnant_ '-but whomever you choose to tell is your call, not mine.'

'Thanks for that, but I don't think it's really a secret anymore since I was a patient here last week.'

'Either way, I'lll redirect all questions to you It's your pie to serve, as it were.'

'Mmm, pie. Hold on.' Andrea sent a little message back to her fiance - _baby wants pizza for lunch_. 'Now I'm good.'

* * *

><p>Downstairs in the OR scrubroom, Daniel read her text and laughed as he tied on a mask, washed up in the sink.<p>

'Something funny?'

Daniel glanced at the surgical intern, Reuben Scott, and shook his head. 'My fiancee, teasing me.'

'Anyone I might know and try to steal from you?'

'Andrea Hennessey, up in pediatrics. We work together for Harvey when he's doing deliveries.'

'Right, right.'

Daniel walked into the OR, waited for the other nurse to glove him and he went to take his seat by the pumps and gauges. He read the chart, adjusting for the level of anesthetic necessary according to the patient's information. When the patient, a twelve-year-old girl named Karen Mosley, was wheeled in, he smiled gently at her.

'Hey, beautiful,' he told the little girl, 'I'm Daniel. I'm going to make sure you don't feel a thing while the docs make sure you feel better.'

'You're pretty,' she said dreamily. 'Are you an angel?'

'Not quite.' The girl's chart indicated she was on heavy-duty morphine so her spacey question didn't concern him in the slightest. 'You have a favourite TV show?'

'I like _The Big Bang Theory_. They use funny words.'

'What about cartoons?'

'I like _The Muppet Babies_.'

Daniel glanced up, saw the pediatric surgeon Doctor Cook, come in and nod; it was her subtle indication that she was ready for him to administer the anesthetic. He held the mask over Karen's mouth and nose, turned the switch. 'Gimme a list of as many characters as you can.'

'Gonzo the Weirdo...Miss Piggy...Ker...mit...the...Fruh...Fuh...'

Within seconds, Karen was under and Cook was preparing the area and instructing Reuben on how to make his incision while Daniel intubated her. Just as Reuben picked up her scalpel, Daniel studied the face of his patient then held up a hand. 'Doctor, wait! Wait!'

'What is it, Nurse Brick?' Reuben asked in a snotty tone.

'Just wait a moment. See this?' Daniel pointed to Karen's closed eyes which were flickering back and forth. 'She's not under fully yet. You make that cut, you'll wake her up.'

'I'm the doctor here, you're just the nurse,' Reuben retorted with a snotty tone, which had the surgeon looking at him strictly.

'You're not a doctor in my OR anymore Reuben,' Cook informed him coolly, 'if you're going to speak to a colleague like that. Apologize or scrub out.'

'It's his job to make sure he's done his job correctly, which obviously he didn't.'

'And if you'd think before you open your mouth, _Doctor_,' Daniel retorted, 'you'd know that female patients on morphine require a longer time window when being administered anesthetic, as their body processes the drugs differently.'

'He's done his job,' Cook added, 'your job is to listen. Apologize or scrub out.'

Reuben gave them each a mutinous glare before he ripped off his surgical gown and left the OR. Sighing, Cook set down her scalpel, turned to the other surgical nurse in the room. 'Please have Jules Hudson paged ASAP to this OR.'

'Yes, Doctor.'

While the nurse went to the hard-line phone, Daniel sighed and recalibrated his machines. 'There goes my lunch with my fiancee.'

'He's not going to last long. Shame too, as he has all the technical skill in the book, but it takes more than that,' Cook sighed. 'He needs to learn that not everything is about the doctor, it's about the patient, and that there's a reason it's called a surgical _team_. How is our young Miss Karen doing, Nurse Brick?'

'Good. She's holding steady and there doesn't appear to be any spikes or dips in her heart or brain function.'

'Glad to hear it. Speaking of hearing things...' Cook's eyes twinkled above her surgical mask. 'What's this I hear about Andrea being pregnant?'

'What?'

'I saw Harvey's name down for a consult on Andrea when she was in for treatment after being abducted last week. Doesn't take much to figure out what that might be for, given Harvey's an OBGYN. When is she due?'

'Harvey gave us a date of August twenty-third.'

'Oh, so she's not very far along at all,' Cook commented, noting that Jules was now in the scrub room and washing up. 'I'm guessing the consult from Harvey was after she was examined in the ER and you found out then she was pregnant?'

'Yeah, something like that.'

'Not exactly the best way to find out, but the universe has its tricks. Ah, Jules, thank you. Pop quiz, what's the first rule in an OR?' she asked the young surgical intern who looked more like a cheerleader than a doctor.

'Don't be a hero, there's a reason it's called a surgical team?'

'Excellent. Nurse Brick, are you ready on your end?'

Daniel checked his machines, nodded briskly. 'We are all set here, Doctor Cook. You have the con.'

* * *

><p>As Andrea's shift had started before his, Daniel wasn't surprised to find her already in bed when he arrived home. Peeling off his sweater and reaching for a towel, he kissed her hello. 'Whatcha reading, sexy?'<p>

'_Baby Boom_. Lanie recommended it, she said being an unexpected mother this was her go-to book. She found _What to Expect When You're Expecting_ a little too preachy. How was the rest of your day?'

'Good, good. Had a gall bladder removal that went like clockwork after we had pizza in the cafeteria. Good thing we didn't have the fries.'

'Ew.' Even the thought of it had Andrea coughing and gagging and sitting up on the side of the bed. 'Oh man, this has been going on all day. I'm nauseous, then hungry, nauseous then hungry. Like being on a frickin' see-saw.'

'It'll pass, baby.'

'I know, but...oh shit. Shit, shit shit.'

Daniel watched her bolt from the bedroom, run into the bathroom. He winced only a little at the sound of her retching, and instead turned down the covers of the bed, laid out a towel over her pillows. 'That help?' he asked when she returned.

'Kind of. I feel a little bit better. Would be a lot better if I hadn't decided on chocolate milk and a jalapeno cheddar bagel on my way home from the hospital.' Andrea crawled into bed, looked up at Daniel with soft grey eyes. 'I suppose it could have been worse, right? We could have been told I lost the baby.'

'So true and don't even joke about that. I'm going to get a shower, and then we'll just cuddle up, okay?'

'Okay.'

Once he'd washed away the dirt and sweat accumulated from his day, Daniel returned to the bedroom, unsurprised to see Andrea with her eyes closed and murmuring along with her iPod. When he snuggled in beside her, what he heard warmed him from the inside out: she was talking to the baby already.

'So then, Mama had to given her patient some medicine to make her fever come down, and that was okay because even though she felt crumby, it meant she was actually starting to get better. I know you don't really have ears yet, but I feel a little less weird about it all just talking to you like this.'

'Javi, Kevin and Dave all say that helps you to bond with the baby, make you feel more like a parent and less like an alien host.'

'So long as this kid doesn't burst out of my chest and grow to be a fourteen-foot tall acid-bleeding monster, I think it's okay.'

* * *

><p>R&amp;R&amp;Enjoy!<p> 


	6. Perk Up With Dell

By the fifteenth of December, Andrea felt a little more back to herself. No longer was she the girl ho had been abducted by her murderous brother-on-law, she was just Andrea the peds nurse who was pregnant. She was starting to get used to that word now, as she was officially four weeks into it; there was no bleeding to indicate any sign she would miscarry. Though he didn't have to, Andrea knew Harvey well and knew that he wanted to give them their moment as parents to be seeing their unborn baby for the first time other than Walsh's careless comment, so he scheduled an appointment while they were both on-shift.

'Is it weird to think that even while I'm on staff, I'm still a patient?' she asked Honey-Milk as they walked down to the elevator.

'Not really. I've had two babies while working with Harvey.'

'That's true.' Andrea slapped the button for the main floor; she was heading for the clinic where she knew Daniel would already be waiting for her. She raised an eyebrow when Honey-Milk stepped on. 'I appreciate the support, Jenn, but I'm okay, really. I'm doing better than okay now.'

Honey-Milk laughed. 'No, not that. Kevin and I have an appointment with Dell's specialist about getting him into a clinical trial program for diabetes treatment.'

'That's amazing, is it that surgical implant one?'

'Yeah. It wouldn't mean he'd be rid of his needles, but he wouldn't have to take them four times a day. Of course, he's only five and a half, right? Do I want my baby having surgery so young?'

'Understandable. How much do you want him to suffer in the name of getting better?'

The elevator dinged on the main floor and Honey-Milk grinned when she saw her husband there with Dell in his little Catholic school uniform. His grin was just like his daddy's, she noted and let out a little 'oof!' when he hugged her around the midsection.

'Mama! Hello my mama, how are you at work to-day?'

'I'm just fine, Dell. Are you excited about seeing the doctor today?'

Dell frowned a little. 'It is suh-cary the idea of surgery but the doctors know best. That is why they are the doctors.' He unwrapped his arms from his mother and gave the same treatment to Andrea, then to her utter delight, patted her tummy. 'Hi Andrea and Andrea's baby. You are suh-till very tiny. We won't see you until next summer. You gotta get way bigger first.'

'Thanks, Dell.' Unsure of what to do, Andrea ruffled the boy's hair and he took her hand. 'Where do you think we're going?'

'We are going to see the baby on the TV suh-creen!'

'Aren't you forgetting something?' Ryan chuckled. 'You've got your own doctor's appointment to go to.'

'Oh yeah. Bye-bye, baby.' Dell gave Andrea one more pet on the belly, then squinted up at her. 'Maybe you have two inside like Tessi's babies.'

Honey-Milk had to smother the laugh as Andrea blanched a little. 'I think there's only one, my little sugar monster. Andrea, I'll see you for the staff meeting at two, okay?'

'Uh-huh.'

In a little bit of a Dell daze Andrea watched them walk towards the specialists' wing while she headed for the clinic and wasn't surprised to find Harvey there with Daniel already. Her heart melted a little when she saw her fiance standing beside a foetal development chart and measuring with his fingers just how big - or rather how tiny - their little hitch-hiker was.

'Baby's first height chart?' she asked, and Daniel turned around to face her, smiling.

'There's my girl. You ready for this?'

'Yeah. Um, is there a spot I need to change or how is it going to go?'

Harvey chuckled as he made preliminary notes in Andrea's file. He understood her hesitancy, as stripping off in front of your boss who was also your physican did present an interesting debacle. 'You can leave your scrubs on for the initial physical, Andrea, and then we're going to do an ultrasound for that you'll need to ditch the pants. Alright, here we go.'

Harvey had her sit down, drew her blood for sending to the lab to check for any anomalies, then measured her weight and her blood pressure. 'Weight is one-eighty-eight, blood pressure is one-eighteen over seventy-eight. Heart sounds good as well, Andrea, so I'm not going to be concerned about your weight gain, as there are no signs of gestational diabetes or heart disease or other things like that. You're in good shape.'

'What about after getting in that fight, though?' Andrea asked, nibbling her lip in worry. 'Would that have caused any damage?'

'At this point, because it's so early, the number one concern would have been miscarriage entirely, but since it's hanging tough, I think it's safe to say there's nothing to be concerned about. We'll keep an eye on you, just to be safe, though.'

'Okay.'

'Now the part everyone loves.'

Andrea blushed the same colour as her hair and shimmied out of her draw-string scrub pants, stretched out on the exam table. 'Hey Daniel?'

'Yes my sweet.' He came to stand up by her head, brushing one of his hands over her brow.

'We should have Italian for our wedding dinner.'

'But you hate Italian.'

'Not all of it. We can have passed antipasto, soup and then lasagne or parmigiana for dinner which is easy for vegetarians. And since there's going to be little kids, they can have pizza, which is Italian food.' Andrea looked up at him. 'It's not my wedding, it's _our_ wedding Daniel.'

'Damn your Spock logic,' he chuckled, bending to give her a kiss. 'So I get to pick the caterer? And who does the cake?'

'Actually I was think Meredeth could do our cake, maybe get a little help from her mother-in-law? She mentioned this one-'

'Heart of Chelios?'

'Yeah, how'd you know?'

'Javier suggested it at cards night. Said that cake guarantees you'll get lucky,' Daniel replied, then looked up as Harvey stood by Andrea with the blue gel she'd administered. 'We're good to go.'

Harvey squeezed the tube and the sticky blue goo had Andrea yelping at its frosty temperature. Her indignation didn't last long, as Harvey flipped on the sonogram machine and he moved the wand over her lower abdomen. He pressed a few buttons, made a few adjustments. 'Okay, kids, there is Andrea's uterus and there...' He froze the image on screen, outlined a tiny flickering speck. 'That is your baby.'

'That's it? And it survived that ass-kicking I gave Dominick?' Andrea said in wonder at the little speck no bigger than a pea.

'Sure did. Tough little nut already. He or she will be diving with you and punching sharks in no time. Now, I know you'd like to hear the heartbeat, but since it's still only a month old, it might not be terribly loud so don't be discouraged, okay?'

They both nodded and Harvey flipped the switch; at once, Andrea gasped. 'I hear it! It's like a little whale sounding underwater!'

'I swear, you're the one with sonar.' It took him a moment for Daniel to hear it too, and his eyes filled up. 'Damn, girl, look what we made the night we got engaged!'

'Uh-huh,' was all she could manage. There it was, that little tiny seed inside her that would grow and develop into the best parts of herself and Daniel. 'Look what we made, is right.'

'I'll get you a printed copy.' Attending to the machine, Harvey let two of his favourite nurses have their overwhelming parents to be moment, both weeping silently and laughing when they made jokes about it being made of adamantium to survive the nasty bumps Andrea had taken before. When they were done, Harvey finished up the formal paperwork on Andrea's chart. 'I'll see you as a patient in three weeks, on January fifth.'

They went through the other motions of a pregnancy check-up, and were nearly finished when there was a knock on the door; to Andrea's delight, Honey-Milk stuck her head around the door.

'Excuse me, Doctor Harvey, I know you're in the middle of a consult with your patients but there is a young man out here just itching to see his new baby. Would you be terribly affronted if I did?'

'Not at all.'

Honey-Milk widened the opening of the door and Dell burst in like a little uniformed firework. He climbed right into Andrea's lap and patted her belly like she was the family puppy.

'Hello again Andrea and Daniel and Andrea and Daniel's baby! Were you good for the doctor? I was very good, I didn't cuh-ry or anything.' He spoke directly to the belly, making Daniel laugh. 'So when is your birthday going to be? Mine is July the seventeen but I was thuh-ree weeks early. You better stay inside until the right time. My girl-fuh-riend Tessi, she was ten days late for her birthday. So was my sister Mallory. I call her Marsh-Mally be-cause she is all soft and suh-quishy like a shmellow. Can we

'Are you sure you're not the one high on sugar, Dell?' Daniel laughed, and the boy shook his head vigorously.

'I am a type-two diabetic, I am not allowed to eat sugary things. Neither is my rex. But Meredeth makes a yummy diabetic fuh-riendly ice-cream that Tessi and I like to share. And I love babies, they are cute and funny when they are wig-guh-lin' inside their mamas. It's like they want to make sure you know they are there. Mama, can we go Chuh-rist-mas shoppin' for Andrea and Daniel's baby?' he asked. The words came out in such a rush Andrea wondered how the kid managed to breathe.

Honey-Milk was apparently used to her son going off on tangents like this and shook her head. 'Right now you're going to the after-school program, and Mama and Daddy are going back to work.'

'Oh, okay.' Unphased by this, Dell turned back to Andrea with shining blue eyes. 'Are you going to cut a Chuh-rist-mas tuh-ree with us? It's going to be a lot of people, there is me and Mama and Daddy and Mally, and Tessi and her babies and her mama and daddy, and Carey and his mama and daddy.'

'You should definitely come,' Honey-Milk agreed with her son. 'We cut down our Christmas tree in the middle of a tree farm outside the city, then go back to Mere and Javi's for barbecue afterward.'

'Meredeth barbecues in the winter?' Daniel asked incredulously.

'Oh yeah, and failing that she uses her George Foreman. It's kinda like a preview to our Christmas dinner on the twenty-sixth. You should be getting our invite and Secret Santa letter by tomorrow.' Honey-Milk's pager beeped and she nodded. 'Alright, Dell, up to the after-school for you and back to work for me.'

'Bye Daniel! Bye Andrea! Bye baby!' Dell waved as he went with his mother out of the room. 'See you on Satta-day.'

Alone with Harvey once more, they all just looked at each other before Daniel finally cleared his throat. 'Well, that's one way to score an invite.'

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><p>R&amp;R&amp;Enjoy!<p> 


	7. Tree Hunting: 4 Weeks

As they were both off on Saturday and both starting nights the following day, Daniel and Andrea agreed to the tree-cutting date with the Esposito, the Ryan and the Parrish-Robbins clans. It seemed a good idea, as they were starting a family, to begin some kind of tradition like this and what better way to do it than with people who knew all about creating your own traditions? Looking around as they waited for the horse-drawn wagon to take them into the depths of the tree farm, Daniel saw Dave and Ryan with Carey, Violet and Mallory look at the people with their trees sending them through the binding machine while Dell and Tessi were working on a little snowman with Javier and Honey-Milk.

The day was mild and bright, with just enough of a whip in the wind to put colour in the cheeks, or in Meredeth's case, Andrea noted, more colour. The Danish writer had rosy apple cheeks that suited her round friendly face and twinkly blue eyes perfectly; despite this it seemed all three children had inherited their father's chubby chipmunk cheeks instead, and Tessi most definitely had his dimples. She watched with fascination as the little girl in her cherry-pink snowsuit kept an eagle eye on the younger Mallory who was eager to get a closer look.

'Day-fo, Mally. No go ouchie,' she said sweetly.

'She's not gonna go ouchie, Tessi.' Dell shook his head as he packed on more snow. 'She's not silly.'

'She lit-tle,' Tessi retorted with all the indignation a two and a half-year-old could muster; she even planted her hands on her hips in a way that made her look like a tiny version of Meredeth. 'She no' know bedda.'

Lanie laughed a little as Ryan scooped his daughter up, out of the danger zone, brought her back to the rest of them. 'That's just a tad spooky, the two of them together don't even reach ten years old combined and they sound like an old married couple,' she said to no one in particular.

'We no' mah-wee,' Tessi giggled. 'Mami an' Daddy mah-wee. An-de-ah an' Daniel mah-wee?'

'Yes, we are getting married in February. February twenty-one,' Andrea said with a smile; the little girl was so infectious. 'Can you say February twenty-one?'

'Febby tinny-wan.'

'That's very good, Tessi!' Andrea held out her hand for a high-five and her eyebrows drew together in confusion when the toddler bunched her fingertips together and tapped them against Andrea's. 'What's that?'

'Feed birdies. See-dit shake.'

'Ah, a secret handshake, those are very important,' Daniel agreed, then watched the wagon drawn by the big Clydesdale horses approach the group of people. 'Watch out, there, little ones.'

He picked up Mallory, took Violet by the hand to keep her out of the way so they wouldn't get trampled, then boosted them onto the side of the wagon along with Tessi, Dell and Carey before climbing on himself. When he was nestled into the slightly-scratchy but very warm fresh straw on the back of the wagon, Violet climbed right into his lap.

'Hi-hi, Dan-ill,' she said brightly. 'Cash so-fix?'

'What?'

'Cash so-fix,' Violet repeated and stuck her tongue out at him. 'Like dat.'

'She means snow-flakes, Daniel,' Carey told him, which had the light dawning. 'I teach her how.'

'Dah-wee good bo,' Tessi chipped in. 'Jus' like Dell.'

'Aw, thanks Tessi!' Dell leaned in and pecked Tessi's cheek. 'You are so nice.'

'He looks like Father Goose,' Meredeth giggled to her husband and Andrea. 'Or a scarecrow for toddlers, I can't decide which.'

'He's great with children. He looks like he should be challenging Rocky Balboa for a come-back fight, but he's really so sweet and gentle. Not that he's a sissy,' Andrea added hastily, and Meredeth laughed, patted the girl's knee, 'just that he's not as big a bruiser as he looks.'

'I know what you mean. My cop, he's taken a bullet from a serial murderer before, been in plenty of knockdown-dragouts on the job, and he cannot sleep if some part of him isn't cuddled up against me. Even when he's sick he plays footsies with me in the bed.'

Andrea sent a furtive look over to the hunky Puerto-Rican and raised her eyebrows in approval. 'I buy that.'

'Where are the twins?'

'With the 'buelos,' Meredeth replied. 'I wanted to bring them but Javi said they were still too little so they're spending the day baking with their grandmother.'

Andrea nodded, thinking of her own mother who was probably half in the bottle on a yacht somewhere in the Carribbean. Daniel's mother had taken off when he was hardly older than Tessi was now, a drug addict who just hadn't been able to kick the habit and had died in Texas more than twenty years before. Their baby would not get the experience of cookies baked with a grandmother, at least not a biological one.

'I have to get you over for some baking,' Meredeth continued. 'Now that you're pregnant, you need some yummy healthy treats and working shift work like Honey-Milk and Lanie, you need to keep your energy strong.'

'Mere, I couldn't impose-'

'It's really no trouble, I like it. I like to feed everyone.'

'Hey, psh-psh, Andrea,' Ryan hissed in a stage whisper. 'Get her to make some banana cream pie and smuggle one my way.'

'Sweetie, what happens when eat banana cream pie?' Honey-Milk asked him; when he said nothing, she looked at Mallory who was leaning against Daniel's leg. 'Marsh-Mally, what happens when Daddy eats banas?'

'Daddy 'tink. Bat-room 'mell icky.'

'Thank you my little marshmellow dove,' Ryan said as he fought the blush.

Mallory smiled winningly. 'Weckim, Daddy.'

'Case closed,' Dave said with a laugh as they lurched to a stop and the driver called out for blue spruce. 'This is us.'

They dispersed amongst the trees, which somehow wound up with Esposito hanging back with Andrea and Daniel both, watching Meredeth pick out the tree with Tessi. 'She's an expert on these things. Her and her mother used to do it, and the first time we had Christmas together, I thought she was insane. Now it feels wrong if we don't go and get one.'

'Does she really like to cook for her pregnant friends?' Daniel asked, and Esposito nodded.

'Oh yeah, it started a little with Jenny, but it really kicked in with Lanie. She was afraid that if she couldn't be useful to her friends who were becoming mothers, the friendship

Andrea snorted. 'It's nice to see even the formidable Meredeth Esposito has her moments of insanity.'

'Daddy! This one?' Tessi bellowed, pointing to a tree with a fallen stick that Meredeth stood beside. 'It look good.'

'It does look good, princess,' he agreed, then turned to Daniel and Andrea. 'Go on, pick one out. Holler and we'll help you chop it.'

With Esposito darting off to his girls, Daniel and Andrea looked at each other. 'Do you have any idea how to pick a Christmas tree, Andrea?'

'Kind of. Why, do you?'

'Yeah. Skills my father taught me.' You want one with thick, full branches and give it the hug test.' Daniel stopped beside a tree, held out his arms. 'If you can put your arms around its sides without over-extending or falling short of the mark, it's a good diameter.'

'That makes sense. What about that one?'

Andrea pointed to a fat gumdrop of an evergreen and they went over and examined it. 'It looks good and full.'

'Yeah, but see this? Nothing but dead needles inside,' Daniel pointed out, giving the trunk a shake and causing a rainfall of brown splinters to fall into the snow. 'What about that one?'

'Too big. Look.' Andrea walked over, stretched out her arms which barely made it to the sides. 'This is what you'll look like hugging me in about six months time.'

'Oh, no. See I'll just do this-' Daniel moved behind her, wrapping his arms around her '-and this.'

He kissed her cheek, her neck, her temple all the while drinking in the beautiful scent of her skin. He wondered if those preggo hormones made her smell better because she smelled even more delicious than usual. He slid one gloved hand down to pat her belly much like Dell had and murmured in her ear, 'Maybe later, my little Irish tree fairy will let me trim her tree.'

'And maybe my big strong woodsman needs his yule-log warmed up?'

'Filthy. Just filthy.'

'You wouldn't want me any other way, would you?'

'Mm-mm.' Daniel shook his head, then caught sight of another tree. 'Hey what about that one over there?'

'Oooh, that looks good.' Andrea followed his gaze, went over and gave it the hug test. 'Yep, good width, and...' She gave it a sturdy shake. 'Not too many needles shaking loose. What do you think?'

'I think we have a Christmas tree.'

'Cool.' She grinned, then bellowed with her supreme lung power, 'Espo! We got one!'

Daniel heard the sound of approaching footsteps, along with Tessi's chattering little voice asking if she could take the 'pisher'. Esposito and his little girl appeared from the opposite side of the tree, Esposito with the hack-saw in hand and Tessi craning her neck up to get the full view of the gorgeous blue spruce.

'It big, An-de-ah,' she observed. 'How it fit?'

'Just you wait my dear, it'll fit,' Esposito murmured, held out the hack-saw to Daniel. 'You do the honours?'

'Sure.'

Daniel disappeared under the tree and they watched it wiggle and wriggle and shimmy until finally it tipped over and Daniel reappeared with a triumphant grin. 'This would be much easier if I was the Incredible Hulk.'

'You the In-de-dible Daniel,' Tessi told him, which had him cracking up and flexing.

'Think so?'

'Uh-huh. You 'tong arms.'

He stepped over to Andrea, wrapped an arm around her waist and felt her brace her weight against him a little. 'Hey, you okay?'

'Yeah, just a little light-headed. One of the many common symptoms of being pregnant.' Andrea paused, felt her stomach rumble. 'But I could do with a burger or two.'

'Well, grab yourself a dog once we're back on the wagon,' Honey-Milk said, walking up with her tree in tow along with Ryan dragging it on the other side. 'We're having barbecue at Mere and Javi's for dinner.'

'Munsh dogs? And brrr-gers wit sheese?' Tessi asked hopefully. 'An' Ry-an get falalas?'

Esposito and Meredeth both cracked up. 'Something like that, princess,' Meredeth told her daughter. 'Andrea what are you doing?'

'Tying a rope around the tree to help drag it to the wagon path?' she returned, which had everyone, including the arrived Lanie, Dave and company shaking their heads sternly.

'That baby's been through enough,' Lanie declared. 'It's bad enough he or she is already a micro-weight boxing champion, it's not turning into a draft horse.'

* * *

><p>R&amp;R&amp;Enjoy!<p> 


	8. Barbecue in Chelsea A

_Hello everyone, glad to see you're loving this story! This chappie is for **tayababy** because she Tweeted me and said she needed a booster, so this is as much happy-happy as I could manage, short of going to Disneyland on Christmas with **NCISchick** aka the human anti-depressant _

* * *

><p>Because they had the biggest car, the soon-to-be parents rode back to Manhattan with the Espositos, Tessi nestled in between the two adults and chattering away like a drunk monkey.<p>

'Yum-yum, we gon' munsh hot-dogs an' brrr-gers.' Tessi looked up at Andrea. 'You no' eat amimals?'

'Yes, I do eat meat,' she replied, and the little girl nodded solemnly, turned to Daniel.

'You eat amimals too?'

'Oh, yes, I'm a big ol' carnivore.'

Tessi wrinkled her brow up. 'What a dar-na-fo?'

'That's a dinosaur, or any animal really, that eats meat,' Daniel explained in his patient way.

'Like a ran-oh-sah-wuss?'

'Yes Tessi, like Dell's tyrannosaurus,' Esposito confirmed from the driver's seat as they pulled up in front of the Chelsea townhouse. 'Okay, we're home.'

They unloaded from the car, and as they went up the stairs, Daniel could hear the muted sound of what he thought might be a small bear growling inside the house. When they opened the door, he blinked as a huge honey-brown dog sprang forward and howled at them.

'Ah-tie, sit! No barkin'!' Tessi snapped at the dog and the giant beast backed off, going back inside the house but keeping close to the new people in his castle. 'That Ah-turo, he my puppy. Silly boy.'

'Is that my little _nina_ back with the tree?' A bird-like woman with a halo of black and silver curls framing her face wandered out from the kitchen, wiping her hands on the apron she wore.

'Bela!' Tessi raced over ran hugged her around the knees. 'Got a tee! An-de-ah an' Daniel help us find!'

'That's fantastic. Your brother and sister are having their nap, so be quiet when you go upstairs.'

'O-day, bela!'

Tessi parked herself on the bottom of the stairs, began to pull her mittens off while Rosalita Esposito turned her attention to Andrea and Daniel. 'And you must be the new ones. My boy has told me all about you, and my granddaughter told me you are having your own little own soon.'

'Summa-time, bela,' Tessi added helpfully as her mother helped her with her boots and snowsuit. 'Baby way lit-tle now. Needa 'tay inside.'

'We'll get the trees brought in. Both of them,' Esposito said to Daniel. 'We might get crunched with snow tonight and you don't want yours buried.'

'An excellent idea, and Andrea, we will make you some lovely tea. Meredeth, I'm sure those babies are awake by now.'

'Yes Rosa. It's best not to argue with Mami Esposito,' Meredeth told her friend as she straightened up from helping Tessi, one eye on the toddler as she went upstairs. 'I better go with her.'

Head spinning, Andrea went into the kitchen and sat down at the kitchen table. The space was homey, lots of wood and cream-toned tiles with a pale yellow glass backsplash behind the counter and stove. It smelled deliciously of bread and almonds and honey, and on the counter was an honest-to-goodness plate of freshly baked cookies.

'So how is it you are friends with my Javi and Meredeth?' Rosalita asked as she went to the stainless steel bowl on the counter and began to scoop up dough of soem kind, roll it into little balls and drop them into sanding sugar before they went on a bake sheet.

'I'm a nurse at Saint Vincent's, so is Daniel, we work with Doctor Harvey and Jenny Ryan, and we helped Jenny, Lanie, Meredeth and Kate all deliver their babies.'

'Yes, I thought that is were you looked familiar from. I don't recall seeing your fiance though.'

'He's a nurse anesthetist, so Harvey has him in the delivery room in case there needs to be an emergency procedure done. Plus he helps administer the pain medication for moms in labour.'

'Ah, yes, my favourite man in the birthing process,' Rosalita laughed. 'And now that you are becoming the mother, they've adopted you and your man.'

'Why does everyone say that like we're stray puppies?' Andrea asked, a little bewildered.

'Because they are a family, and they refer to it as adoption when they bring in people they don't directly work with. Being married to cops and nurses and paramedics, it's stressful, so they give each other support just like a blood-kin family. Of course, some of them are blood-kin, but it hardly matters a whit to anyone. Here we are.'

Andrea smiled at the pot of tea set in front of her, along with the cookies. She bit into one and a tango of pineapple and coconut exploded in her mouth. 'These are delicious, like pina colada cookies.'

'That's the aim. I'm putting them on my bakery menu as a special next week. I own a bakery in Spanish Harlem, the Salamander.'

'I'm a sucker for a nice pastry. Probably why I look like I'm already four months pregnant.'

'None of that. What does your doctor say?' Rosalita asked sternly as she continued to roll cookies.

'My heart's strong as a rhino, no signs of disease or diabetes and my bloodpressure is textbook because I cycle four times a week for an hour a day.'

'And Daniel?'

'Thinks I'm a sexy goddess with a juicy booty,' Andrea replied with a little pink tinge in her cheeks, repeating the phrase Daniel had used that morning before they'd made love.

'And that's it. Everything else is noise. Besides, a real man wants a woman with some meat on her bones who knows how use it. Now drink your tea and eat your cookie.'

The tranquility of talking to Rosalita didn't last long as the front door opened and the men came in with the trees, followed by Lanie, Dave, Carey and Violet, which made Arturo scramble to his feet and rush over to give the children gooey doggy-kisses. There was a jumble of voices and Rosalita had a moment to murmur 'incoming' before the noise-cloud moved into the kitchen.

'Andrea! You are here already!' Carey raced over and hugged her, patted her tummy. 'Hugs are okay for the baby, right?'

'Of course. It's about the size of a pea right now.'

'Be bigga?' Violet asked, studied the woman's body. She vaguely remembered how Meredeth looked before the twins were born and how she'd had a large, rounded belly. 'Baby get bigga?'

'Yes the baby is going to get bigger.'

'Okay. Hi baby. Mwah.' Violet leaned in and actually kissed Andrea's sweater-covered tummy. 'I Vi-o-let. That Cah-wee. He me bo.'

'That's right Violet, I'm your buh-ro.' Carey nodded, then looked over when the door opened once more. 'Oh no, here is tuh-rouble.'

'Tubble?' Violet asked. 'Who Tubble?'

But there was no need to ask, as Dell came into the kitchen with a big grin on his face. 'Hello everyone! Where is my Tessi and babies?'

'The babies are upstairs sleeping and Tessi is up there with her mother. Would all of you like a cookie and some hot chocolate?'

They chorused 'yes please', with Dell asking for sugar free cookies which Rosalita had made and set aside for him. The sight of the little brood, so well-behaved and chattering like little monkeys made Andrea smile at them; she didn't realized she was rubbing her hand over her belly where her baby was so cozy inside until she looked down. She laughed a little, then glanced up and her heart instantly melted like the snow on their Christmas tree.

'Look who wants to visit for a snack,' Daniel declared, walking in with one of the twins against his shoulder. 'Leo, you know everywhere here, including Andrea, I bet. Andrea, you remember this handsome man?'

'Who could forget a cutie like that?' she stood up, went over to see the adorable two month old little boy. He had big brown eyes like his father's and pale brown fuzz covering his head. 'Hello, Leo, are you nice and awake after your big snooze this afternoon?'

Leo responded with a gurgle and a hiccup, which had Daniel making a pouty face. 'Mere says he's got a touch of colic which is what makes him hiccup so much. He's got a fresh bottom and needs a bottle. Here.'

Daniel passed Leo to Andrea while he went to put on the water for him, just as Honey-Milk and Lanie came in the kitchen. 'Oh, look at you, mama,' Lanie grinned as she saw her friend with the infant. 'How's it feel holding on to one of those?'

'I work with kids and babies for a living, Lanie.'

'Okay, rephrase,' Honey-Milk giggled. 'How is it holding one of those when you know you've got your own coming next summer?'

'Next August,' Andrea corrected. 'August fifteenth.'

'Don't let Castle hear you say that too loudly, he'll get the betting pool going by New Years.'

Leo let out a loud 'hic' and began to whimper a little bit, which had Andrea's nursing instincts kicking in. 'Oh, oh, okay Leo Lion, let's see what we can do about those bubbles in your tum, huh?' she cooed softly, walking into the living room with the baby. She sat on the couch, laid him down on his back gently and began to rub her hands in little looping circles over his diaphragm, working the muscles softly with massage. As her back was to the kitchen and stairs, she didn't see Honey-Milk and Lanie watching her, grinning to each other as Andrea murmured to Leo.

'There we are, my little treasure, yeah, bet that feels better, doesn't it? Can't be pleasant always having the burps all the all time, no, I don't think so.'

'Hey.'

Andrea glanced up, saw Esposito and Daniel both there. 'How'd you get him to stop the hiccups without feeding him?'

'Just a little neonatal massage.'

'You'll have to show me after dinner.'

'I've got his bottle,' Daniel added, holding it out to Andrea, watched her take it. He couldn't tell her in earshot of small children how much it turned him on to see his beautiful bride-to-be holding a little baby like that. The idea of watching his baby growing in her body made him love her all the more. 'Here, you want to feed him?'

'Sure.' Andrea propped Leo up in her arms, and held the warmed bottle to his mouth, which he latched onto like a cute little milk-hungry leech. 'There we are, how's that taste? Mmm-mm, yeah, that's a good boy, get all those nutrients.'

'He says, Aunty Andrea, thank you for helping me with my tummy trouble, I'm gonna give you a big kiss once I'm finished,' Esposito smiled. 'You'll be a great mom, Andrea. Speaking of which, I'm going to put on the grill, you want a burger or a dog?'

'One of each, please.'

'Yeah?'

'Baby wants a hot-dog, Mama wants a burger.'

Esposito nodded, headed for the kitchen, and Andrea caught Daniel looking at her. 'What?'

'That's the first time I've heard you refer to yourself as Mama.' He leaned in, gave her a kiss. 'It sounds very sexy. Love you.'

'Love you too.'

* * *

><p>R&amp;R&amp;Enjoy!<p> 


	9. Barbecue in Chelsea B

'Mmm smells good!'

'Where's the honey-mustard?'

'Violet, careful with your cup, sweetheart.'

Such were the noises that came from the kitchen window, as Ryan, Esposito and Daniel stood outside on the small patio, manning the grill. 'This'll make the neighbours so jealous,' Esposito snickered as he poked at the burgers with a flipper.

'I've heard tales about your cooking, how is Meredeth letting you do this and not risk giving my wife-to-be mad cow disease or something?' Daniel asked.

'Because I'm a good hubby,' he replied. 'Though now that it's two months in and the twins are settling into a routine, she's back on the horse, or the hors d'oeuvre, as it were.'

'Did you and Andrea talk about the wedding a little more?' Ryan asked, warming his slender hands over the barbecue. 'You seemed pretty conflicted when we were playing poker.'

'We talked and we're sticking with February twenty-first. We have an appointment to go and taste a chef's wedding menu next week too, and I think Meredeth and Lanie are taking Andrea dress shopping soon.' Daniel frowned, looked at Esposito. 'Dude, can I ask something? It's kinda personal.'

'You can always ask and I'll always answer, you just might not like the answer.'

'How do you and Meredeth handle the finances in the house, given that Meredeth has a lot of money?'

'Like every other couple, with give and take. We have a joint account for the house, like taxes, utilities, cable, Internet, stuff like that, and we have our own accounts too. Each month we drop a portion into our joint account from our paycheck, some into savings, and some into the kids' college funds.'

'What about Meredeth's money from the books and the royalties and all of that?' Daniel folded his arms across his chest.

'She donates a lot of it to the NYPD survivor's fund, to cancer research and her alma mater Columbia and to literacy foundations. Why do you ask, Daniel?'

'What, is Andrea loaded or something?' Ryan added with a laugh.

'Yeah, we're talking like seriously loaded. Eight digits loaded, and I know you guys also paid for your own wedding, how did you do that without devolving into a fight about finances?'

'Again, like everyone else. Budget and give and take. Meredeth once told me after I learned how many pesos she actually sits on that she knew I was different because I didn't get freaked out by the fact she doesn't live like a multimillionaire, even though that's what she is.'

'I've never once questioned Andrea's lifestyle choices based on her money.' Daniel shook his head. 'If she wanted to, she could live on a yacht in the middle of the Carribbean for the rest of her life. But she does what she does because Andrea's gift is helping people. She's a born nurturer.'

'Just like my Mere-bear's a born story-teller.' Esposito flipped the burgers, then turned to Ryan. 'Can you get the bacon, buns and cheese from Meredeth?'

Ryan, knowing his partner wanted a few moments alone with their friend, nodded and stepped through the sliding doors; the moment he did Esposito turned to Daniel. 'Dude, do yourself a huge favour and get some sexy lingerie for your bride from Sizzling Stork. They specialize in fancy underthings for pregnant women, great selection and you will be getting laid a _lot_ when those second trimester hormones kick in.'

'Sizzling Stork?'

'Yeah. What's her fave colour to wear for you?'

'She likes green and pearl grey because it matches her eyes. No pink, it clashes with her hair. Why did you wait to tell me this until your partner was gone but the money thing is fine?'

'Because Ry's walked in on me having sex with Meredeth and two years later still gets squirmy whenever I talk about sex with Mere in a blunt way.'

Daniel's eyes bugged out. 'He did what?'

'The weekend Kate and Rick got married, we were spending the July holiday weekend with them, all of us and when Ryan came to the boathouse apartment to get Mere and me for dinner, he walked in to find us getting it on.'

'You didn't hear him?'

'We were a little busy, we didn't even hear the door open,' Esposito said with a proud grin. 'That was the afternoon we made Tessi.'

Daniel laughed. 'That's one for the history books,' he commented as Ryan came back out with a plate of supplies and a slightly pained look.

'Let me guess, you were giving him preggo sex tips, weren't you? No, I know you were, so we're just moving on.'

'Dude, you're such a priss, you've got two kids, one of which you made in Richard Castle's bathroom on Hallowe'en because you couldn't keep it in your pants for Jenny,' Esposito reminded him, shaking his head.

'_Anyways_,' Ryan continued emphatically, 'what are you thinking for the wedding? Anymore ideas?'

'I think Jenny said she wants to help make the invitations.'

'Yeah, she's into scrapbooking and calligraphy and that kind of thing. They mos-def won't look homemade. What else?'

'We know for sure we're doing Italian for the dinner, and the hotel we're thinking of said we can bring in our own caterer rather than having to use the house chef if we so chose.'

'And the rings?'

'The next step.'

Ryan opened his mouth to ask about the vows when Meredeth poked her head out. 'Hey, we're all set in here.'

'Excellent, these hots and hams are just about ready. And your garden burgers too,' Esposito added when Ryan cleared his throat, passed him the platter full of eats. 'Take those in, I'm shutting down the gas.'

'Translation - I'm discussing more preggo-sex with Daniel and don't want to offend you.'

'You said it, bro, not me.'

Ryan laughed and headed in, and while Esposito did indeed turn off the gas, he turned to Daniel and gave him a wink. 'Also, don't be surprised once the baby's big enough that it starts kicking Andrea during sex.'

'During sex,' Daniel repeated.

'Yeah, you know how whatever the mother feels, the baby feels too? Same goes for sex.'

'The baby will have orgasms too?'

Esposito snorted out a laugh. 'Nah, bro, I mean if her heart's going fast, the baby's gonna feel it and have an opinion. I thought you worked with babies?'

'Not exactly, not like Andrea and Jenny do. I'm a nurse anesthetist so when I'm in the room, I'm in charge of medication. Harvey's the prenatal guy, and Andrea's specialty is pediatric triage.'

'I stand corrected.'

Daniel chuckled, then glancing over and looking through the glass, he saw Andrea sitting with Lanie; Trini was on her lap this time while Tessi played with the baby's toes. He felt his own heart pick up pace and he cleared his throat. 'Javier, did you get all hot and bothered when Mere was pregnant, even when she wasn't showing?'

'Hell yeah, I did. My wife, the love of my life and the most beautiful woman in the world, was growing my child, or in the case of the twins, children. That's a powerful thing and a very humbling one. I wanted to show her how much it meant to me every chance I got.' Esposito paused, pursed his lips. 'You know, there's a storm watch out tonight. I could always get Mere to make up the spare room for you two and you can stay for breakfast with the family, get a taste for it.'

'I think Andrea might go for that.'

'Just don't let it get too loud.'

Daniel laughed again as they headed inside and once there, he made a beeline for his woman. 'Hey honey,' he murmured as he leaned down to kiss the top of her head. 'You having fun?'

'We makin' Tee-nee laugh,' Tessi told him. 'An-de-ah be a good mami.'

'Thanks sweetheart.'

'Daniel, moosh An-de-ah?'

'Moosh?' Daniel looked at the toddler while everyone else exchanged knowing looks. Finally it was Dell himself who spoke up.

'She means give Andrea a kiss, Daniel,' he explained, 'all of us little ones say moosh.'

'Oh, well then.' Daniel moved so he could capture his finacee's lips with his_._ 'How's that?'

'Yea moosh!' Tessi clapped, then leaving her sister, wandered over to the counter where her mother was putting out plates. 'Now it suppa-time?'

'Yeah, come and get it!' she called, so those in the living room would hear her there too.

Andrea put the baby in her swing seat, her stomach twisting as she stood up. The old demons were sneaking up on her, and she was mentally picturing herself fighting off those evil dark snakes of doubt, insecurity, and most damningly embarrassment. _Nothing will spoil today_, she told herself sternly as she lined up at the island, plate in hand, between Lanie and Ryan. It seemed in addition to the barbecued meat and mushroom-burgers, there was roasted potato salad, Caesar salad, and a basket of freshly made garlic and herb bread courtesy of Rosalita.

When she watched Lanie put a burger on her plate with both cheese and bacon, and load up with potato salad and Caesar alike, Andrea felt a little bit better. Her hesitancy must have shown through, as she felt Ryan lean in from behind her and say, 'Andrea, don't let it get the better of you. Pregnant women need to eat, so eat up.'

Meredeth noticed it too and grinned. 'Girl, you better load up your plate or I'm gonna sic Jenny on you and trust me, as someone whose been on the receiving end of it, you don't want her kicking your butt.'

'Who doesn't want me kicking their butt?' Honey-Milk asked, snacking a green pepper while she built her burger.

'Andrea, she's got that look on her face that says she might not be too hot on chowing down.'

'Oh no.' Honey-Milk turned around, pointed her green pepper stick at Andrea like a rapier. 'Listen missy, I said it to Mere a couple years back and I'm telling you now. None of us are going to judge you for eating up, pregnant or none, so if you think you need to go hungry just to impress us I will turn you into a finger-puppet.'

'Yes ma'am.'

'Here.' Lanie picked up the silver tongs, hovered them over the platter of barbecue. 'Hot or ham?'

'Ham, with cheese and bacon, please. I need the protein.'

The doctor plunked a burger on Andrea's plate. 'Drag it through the orchard, sister.'

'What?'

'Oh, haha, put lots of green things on top of it. Tomatoes, lettuce, green peppers. I worked in a diner during the summers between med-school semesters for pocket cash.'

'I'll have to remember that one.'

Lanie grinned, glanced up to see Daniel giving Andrea the eye from across the island and murmured to her, 'Something tells me later tonight you'll be lucky to remember your own name.'

* * *

><p>R&amp;R&amp;Enjoy!<p> 


	10. The Overnight

As predicted, just as they were mid-way through their meal around six-thirty the wind which had been a gentle tease all day turned into a vicious shit-kicking bitch and whipped in snow so thick they could barely see across the street. As a result, everyone was going to be staying the night, not just Andrea and Daniel. It made Andrea feel more than a little bit weird, because from the looks her fiance had been giving her all night and the way she'd teased him back, the first thing she wanted to do when they were alone was get him naked and have mad, passionate sex with him; since everyone would be staying over, this would be out of the question.

The first glimmer that she might still have a shot at getting some action that night was when Meredeth and Esposito made mention of the hide-a-bed and the air mattress which they were going to set up in the master bedroom since it had the most space. Lanie and Dave would take the air mattress while Honey-Milk and Ryan scored the hide-a-bed; the girls were bunked down in Tessi's room while Carey and Dell were tucked into bed in the nursery with the twins. As a result of this sardine can shuffle, Daniel and Andrea had their privacy, though Daniel suspected this had been the plan all along; Meredeth had even put some pjs for Andrea on the bureau which furthered the idea.

Once alone, Daniel watched Andrea ignore the nightie and strip down her her panties. She swung her legs up into the comfortable double bed, and once in his boxers he slid in behind her, one thick arm looped over her body so his palm rested in the sweet little valley between her breasts.

'Talk to me, babe,' he murmured to her. 'I can hear that noggin of yours nattering a mile off.'

'It's just so much to take in, Daniel,' she told him, sighing deeply as she put her hand over his and stroked it gently. 'There's...I've never met people like these guys.'

'Me neither.'

'It's like we're long-lost cousins that turned up, and we're being welcomed in for all the years we missed.'

Daniel chuckled; it was a good analogy. 'They have been drilling it into us, we've been adopted. A lot of them are like us though, you know?'

'How so?'

'Well, look at Castle and Beckett, for one. Beckett's an only child from a family that was devastated by murder, and Castle was a single parent who was also an only child from a single parent family. They found their way into family through her job and I've heard the very cute story of how her and Esposito met which can also be attributed to him.' He kissed her neck. 'Family isn't just about blood ties, Andrea. These people, these new friends we've made, are making damn sure we understand that.'

'I know, I know, it's just...accepting open and altruistic affection has never been easy for me.' Andrea rolled onto her side so she faced him. 'Except you. You, it was just there and so exciting and comfortable all at once. That's how I knew you were different.'

Daniel gently pressed his lips to hers, then gave her a poke in the side when she added, 'And you're the best lover I've had too.'

'My stars, Soon-to-be Missus Brick, how you do go on,' he teased her with an exaggerated Georgian accent. 'You do know how to get a man all excited.'

'I know how to get you all excited.'

'Do you now?'

Andrea nodded, moved the arm that was wrapped around her until she had his wrist in her hand. With eyelids sinking heavy in seduction, her tongue darted out and laved the tips of his fingers, then gently she lowered those fingertips to her soft, naked breast so they just grazed its rosy peak. She heard his groan and smiled knowingly.

'See?'

'Oh, you do know your audience.' Daniel shifted so she was underneath him, his hand staying on her breast while hers touched his face as they kissed. Her body was generous and lush, with skin soft as rainy-day rose petals, and while some men might have been deterred by the faint pinky-white lines of stretch marks on her body, Daniel simply accepted them as part of Andrea. He loved to watch the way those beautiful breasts rose and fell as he traced his fingers over the small lines that reminded him of sandbar ripples. He heard her breath hitch when he rubbed his thumb over her sensitive breasts, then stopped when he heard her breath catch sharply in her throat - not in pleasure but discomfort.

'Andrea, you okay sweetie?'

'Uh-huh, just...be gentle, okay? My hormones are starting to go a little kooky and they're taking it out on my nipples.'

'Want me to kiss it better?'

She batted her lashes at him. 'If you want to.'

Daniel grinned, and moving so he was stretched out on top of her, one long leg hooked over his hip he lowered his mouth to her body, gently suckling and teasing her, making her sigh deeply. The sounds of her pleasure hardened him, the blood rushing in his veins and his hands wandered down to her hips to tug at her panties, which she kicked down her legs. Turning to his side, Daniel arched an eyebrow when he let his hand rest between her thighs.

'My, my, you really are in the mood for it, aren't you?'

'Gimme,' she breathed, which made him laugh a little as her hips arched up in a little encouraging thrust. Andrea let her head thump back as he began to stroke her; each pass was like being set on fire as her head swam giddy laps. She saw the look on his face as he touched, the love in his expression and realized that it was that love that had made their baby, that love that would make them their own family as they found a place in this new, crazy one. The thought lasted barely three seconds, for she felt him slip one finger, then two inside her; he drew them out slowly, making her bite her lip so the loud moan wouldn't escape and draw attention. When he stopped just short of her release to slip off his boxers, Andrea wanted to punch him.

'You couldn't have done that before,' she teased him.

'Yeah, but then I couldn't do this.'

Gripping her hips, Daniel lifted her slightly off the bed and sank himself inside her, making her eyes pop, a little 'oh!' escape her lips. He set his pace slowly so she would know there was no need to rush, that they could just enjoy the feel of each other tonight. He watched her eyes darken in delight as she moved with him, keeping her whimpers as low as she could; Daniel knew this was a little bit of an effort for her as they both loved being as loud as they wanted when in bed together. Then again, they both knew they were sharing a wall with the nursery where some of the babies were sleeping.

'Daniel,' she murmured in his ear as she felt the orgasm build inside, 'kiss me.'

'Yes.'

He covered his mouth with hers and a few minutes later, he felt her shudder beneath him as she came, the tremors spurring him on as she sighed until he went over the edge with her. Still steeped in her, he turned his head so his mouth found her throat and he kissed her where her pulse banged wildly.

'I love you, Daniel,' she sighed dreamily. 'Oh, God I love you so much right now.'

'Love you too, Andrea,' he murmured back against her skin. 'You are everything to me. Both of you.'

She wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders, keeping him close. 'It seems like it should be so cliche to say things like that after sex, but not right now. Not this time.'

'Not ever,' Daniel agreed, lifting his head to study her face. 'God, you are so beautiful. You are going to be the yummiest mummy I know.'

'What are you doing? I like sleeping naked with you after we make love,' she protested when he popped up off of her, tugged his boxers back on.

'Yes, but we're not at home, and call me crazy but I have a feeling the little lady of the house might come on in here in the morning and explaining how babies are made to an almost three-year-old isn't a conversation I want to have naked in someone else's house.'

'Okay, fair enough then. Erhh,' she honked when he tossed her the pjs' from Meredeth and they landed against her face. 'Love you too.'

* * *

><p>The pyjamas turned out to be a good idea, because the next morning, Andrea felt little fingers poking at her arms and when she opened her eyes she saw not only Tessi but Dell and Mallory with her. All three were still in their pjs, and each had a stuffed animal in tow - Dell with his toy t-rex, Tessi with her Crush turtle and Mallory with a Harrod's teddy.<p>

'Mo-nin,' Mallory said sweetly, her little blond curls bobbing. 'Nacky?'

'She means suh-nacky, it's how she asks if you are hungry,' Dell explained.

'Mami makin' waffas an' ba-din,' Tessi added. 'We here to say yum-yum time.'

'It's yum-yum time? Is there coffee?'

'No' know. Polly. Daddy duh-rink lossa doffee,' she replied, then studied Daniel's naked torso as he sat up. 'Why you no' have pjs?'

Now it was Dell's turn to be the authority. 'Tessi, sometimes mamas and daddies don't sleep with cuh-lothes on because it is more comfy.'

'Oh. O-day. 'Mon , Mally, let's go.'

When the little girls where gone from the room, Dell added to Andrea and Daniel, 'I am five and a half years old, I know how babies get made but they are suh-till too lit-tle to know.'

'Well, then,' Andrea laughed. 'Since you are such a grown-up young man, why don't you escort me down to breakfast?'

'I would be dee-lighted, Andrea.'

Dell held out his hand and the two of them left the room, and Andrea couldn't resist asking. 'So Dell, seeing as your such a big guy now, how are babies made?'

'The mama and daddy both have a little tiny seed inside, and they have to be in their bed together without clothes on and kiss each other and hug each other very tight.'

'How did you learn that?'

'Mama said so, and the big boys at school told me the naked part.'

'Ah, well, far be it from me to argue with the big boys at school,' Andrea chuckled as Dell continued, 'You have to really love someone though, like Mama and Daddy, or like you and Daniel. Are you going to wear a white dress?'

'Yes I am.'

'I have to wear a suit again,' the boy groused as they walked into the kitchen. 'Unless are you getting married in the summer like Katie and Rick?'

'No, we're getting married a week after Valentine's Day. You'll have to wear a suit.'

'Oh, man!'

* * *

><p>R&amp;R&amp;Enjoy!<p> 


	11. Happy Holidays

For the first time in years, Andrea actually found herself looking forward to the Christmas holidays. No longer would her colon tie itself in a Windsor knot of dread at the idea she would be facing her sisters where the only thing getting her through their nattering was by reciting all the different species of exotic fish she'd photographed while scuba-diving. Christmas Eve this year was spent at home with her fiance just the two of them with a two-person sized turkey with potatoes, gravy and veggies while they listened to Bing Crosby.

She and Daniel had exchanged their presents early, as they were both on call on Christmas Day and didn't want the risk of interruption during their time together. They'd sat around their tree with its twinkling light as they'd eaten Andrea's holiday apple pie with French vanilla ice cream and sipping hot chocolate. Despite her insistence, Daniel skipped the Kahlua he usually spiked his hot-chocolate with, as he didn't want to kiss her and pass on any alcohol to her body.

'Look who's an overprotective hubby already,' she'd teased him; Daniel just responded by opening two presents in a row. The selection of gifts they'd given each other as well showed just how well they understood each other - Andrea gave him a new underwater digital camera while he gave her titanium mesh-lined gloves after hers had worn out on their last trip. He gave her a lambs-wool bathrobe, as he knew one of her favourite ways to decompress after a tough day at work was to come home to a nice hot shower for two then snuggle up in a warm blanket. She gave him a new fountain pen so that when he was doing his nurse-anesthetist's thing in a long surgery, he would do his crosswords or sudoku puzzles and think of her.

There were also gifts for the baby, such as newborn size onsies, little socks, and baby sized towels. They'd already moved the furniture out of the second bedroom to give them space so they could begin to design the nursery. They agreed they didn't want to know the sex of the baby until it was coming out of Andrea's uterus so they'd also begun bouncing around ideas for the nursery theme as well - Daniel liked the idea of a surfing theme while Andrea wanted Japanime. The result of that discussion had ended with them calling a truce and having a very steamy moment in the shower that night.

On Christmas Day, it turned out they were not needed at the hospital, so they were able to drive out to Daniel's father's house just outside the city in New Rochelle. A butcher by trade, Stephan Brick was a iron wall of a man - though shorter than Daniel, they had nearly the same physique as did Daniel older brother Sean. They spent the day together with them, as well as Sean's wife Stacey and their son, the sci-fi and gadget nut Nathan. There was roasted ham with maple sugar glaze, potatoes and asparagus; it came out to Stephan that Andrea was pregnant when one whiff of the steamed asparagus, normally a favourite of Andrea's, made her turn green as the vegetable itself and dash for the bathroom. Rather than face recrimination for conceiving out of wedlock, Stephan had been simply tickled pink over the idea of another grandchild, which made Daniel breathe a little easier. Stephan was the only parent he'd really known and to think of his father being unsupportive or disappointed over this turn of events would have been heartbreaking.

Now they were facing a second round of holiday bliss that would be brand new to them both - a big, noisy, old-fashioned family Christmas at the Espositos' house in Chelsea. Not that it hadn't been wonderful to spend a day of gifts and good food with Daniel's family but they were very low key and they didn't even make three-on-three basketball game. The clan at Meredeth and Esposito's house, on the other hand, could probably field two full baseball teams.

'Don't be nervous, Andrea, we've already experienced this a little bit when we went to get the Christmas tree,' Daniel reminded her as they walked up the stairs of two-seventy-one West Twenty-Fifth Street.

'I know. I'm not nervous, I'm just...okay, I am a little and making myself not be. You think they'll like the gift we brought for the Secret Santa?'

'Absolutely.' Daniel pressed the doorbell. 'Though I don't get how you have Secret Santa without names.'

The door opened with Beckett on the other side looking very festive in a siren-red cashmere sweater and dark jeans; on her head was a matching shiny red Santa hat. 'Hello, you guys, Merry Christmas! Come on in!'

They stepped out of the brisk December air and into joyful chaos. In the living room were some of the little kids - Daniel could pick out Dell, Carey, and Tessi right away - along with a Middle-Eastern looking man who had his arm around a sleek looking redhead, while another blonde man sat in the end chair, a stylish looking cane propped up beside it.

'You remember my daughter Alexis, and that's her boyfriend Doctor Shane Weaver, and the blondie with the kick-stand is Cameron George, Esposito's brother-in-law,' Beckett said, pointing to everyone. 'We're all kind of here there and everywhere so make yourselves at home. The kids are playing Just Dance for Wii, if you want to join in the insanity. You want a drink?'

'Whatever's available,' Andrea replied, noting there were some interesting looking snacks on the table. 'We missed you on the tree-chopping day.'

'Oh, I know, I wanted to be there, but it was the debut of my mother-in-law's production of _Witness for the Prosecution_ and it's her dream role to play Miss Plimsoll so we had to be there for the big charity auction prior to curtain,' Beckett explained, 'and it was the Saturday of Chanukah, so Shane and Alexis had their own plans for that.'

'Mom, I'm right here,' Alexis reminded her teasingly, turning to look at the new arrivals. 'Hey guys, come pull up a cushion!'

'An-de-ah, you wanna dance with us?' Carey asked.

'No, she have baby inside. No wig-gle,' Tessi shook her head. 'Baby need 'tay inside.'

'A little bit of dancing isn't going to shake the baby loose, princess,' Cam chuckled. His niece was quite the little mother hen, or maybe it was that she was nearly three and her fave word these days was 'no.

'Good to see you again, Andrea under much better circumstances,' Shane grinned. 'If it makes you feel better, Alexis and I have been together for over a year and this is my first time coming to this shin-dig.'

'How does that work?' Andrea asked, confused.

'We didn't exactly tell people when we started dating, it, ah, came out on a rather awkward poker night.'

'But they love you now, baby.' Alexis smiled. 'And now you get to be part of our little family. We're a very accepting bunch. We'd have to be for them to be cool with the age gap between us.'

'Right, the fact I love you beyond logic has nothing to do with it.' Shane poked her in the ribs, and got a kiss for his troubles; the sight of it had one of the little boys Daniel didn't recognize piping up.

'Day-fo, Shin. My Less.'

'Yes, RJ, I know she's your sister first,' the doctor replied, clearly used to this kind of warning, then glanced up when he saw Beckett approach with two glasses.

'Cranberry juice and club soda for the mama, and whiskey cider for the proud daddy. Don't worry, you can drink it and kiss her, Daniel,' she added on a laugh when she saw him hesitate, then looked over at her son. 'RJ, careful, honey.'

'I day-fo, Mumum. Where bibs?'

'Leo an' Tee-nee up-tairs,' Tessi informed the young man. 'Mami and Lanie feedin' my babies. They 'till lit-tle. They no' munchin' tur-dee.'

'Visit soon?'

'Uh-huh, they down-tairs soon.'

'Ola, it's the love-birds!'

Daniel glanced up, saw Esposito walk in with a beer in hand. It was still a little boggling to think he'd once been a little bit fan-boy jealous of the man for snapping up the goddess of graphic novels and they were now becoming friends. He slapped palms with the detective when he held out his hand. 'What's happening, man? How was your day yesterday with the fam?'

'Fun. My father is so excited about another grandkid, and my brother's over the moon about being an uncle.'

'Nice. He give you lots of grief?'

'Sure, he's my big brother,' Daniel said easily, which had Alexis shaking her head.

'I'm twenty-two years older than RJ and he dresses Shane down like you wouldn't believe,' she laughed. 'On Thanksgiving, he made Shane go and buy me flowers because he saw us kissing. Right RJ?'

'Need fowers for moosh,' RJ said simply, then climbed into Andrea's lap. 'Hi Annie.'

'Hi sunshine.'

'Mumum say you baby?' The boy studied her belly. 'Baby li'l?'

'Yeah,' Andrea started, then felt herself get a little choked up when he pressed his little hands around the sides of her abdomen.

'No' feel. It there?'

'It's there, it's just very little. Here.' She took RJ's hand, held her finger over the end joint of RJ's knuckle to measure. 'That's how little.'

'Wow! That way li'l! Me-wee!' He leaned forward when Meredeth came into view with one of the babies. 'Baby way li'l!'

'That's how they all start out. Even these guys,' she said, gesturing between herself and Lanie, who sat down on the floor with the other twin in her arms. 'You started out that small too.'

'Wish one, Me-wee?'

'I have Leo and Auntie Lanie has Trini.'

'Annie hold Tee-nee?' RJ asked hopefully, then clapped his hands when Lanie passed Andrea the blinking baby. 'Hi-hi, Tee-nee. Memer Annie?'

Daniel watched Andrea hold onto Trini, who blinked big brown eyes at her and wrinkled up her little nose. 'Hey there, duchess, I remember you, you were such a kicky little thing. You booted your big bro all the way down the birth canal.'

'She still sleeps with her fist on Leo's heart, like I'ma thump you if you hog all the space again,' Lanie laughed. 'How are you feeling today, mama?'

'Good. A little nauseous, but I had a huge dinner last night.'

'If you're concerned about your nutrition, you should talk to my nutritionist I met with when I was pregnant with the twins.' Meredeth stood up, passed over her little boy. 'Here Daniel you get my big boy, I am going to check on dinner.'

Alexis and Shane left with Meredeth to give her a hand as much to give Andrea and Daniel more room to sit with the babies, and Lanie had to hold back a giggle as she watched them - they looked exactly like what they were, two people about to become parents who were trying not to be terrified about it. 'I'm going to go and see if Mere wants a hand.'

But there was no need for Lanie's escape to leave her new friends with her old friends' new babies, as Castle stuck his head around the door of the kitchen and hollered, 'Bird's on!'

* * *

><p>R&amp;R&amp;Enjoy!<p> 


	12. Food, Folks & Fun

Daniel looked around as they all crowded into the dining room where the table was used as a buffet table rather than for sit down. Just as well: between the five Castles and Espositos, four each of the Ryans, Parrish-Robbinses, George-Espositos, and the late-arriving Mazzaras and the two of them, they were lucky to fit all in the dining room around the . They all gather around as Meredeth put her beautiful steaming turkey on the table and joined hands; Daniel smothered a little laugh as Dell and Tessi each reached up to let the twins grip their fingers as best they could. On his left, he had Dave's hand, and in the other, he had his fiancee's as Castle - who seemed to be the self-appointed head of the family - gave the annual Christmas blessing.

'Dear heavenly spirit,' he began. 'Thank you very much for everything you've given us this past year. There's been new babies born, new loves found, new friends and new babies made, and it's safe to say, countless surprises. We are thankful for those we've known and loved and lost and miss every day of our lives. And this year, we are especially thankful that all our family is whole and healthy and safe.'

Andrea gave Daniel's hand a squeeze, and she felt her eyes well up, as she knew Castle spoke of her and Daniel; there was nothing in the world like that open love. On her other side, Ryan gave her hand a supportive squeeze as well. The group all murmured an 'amen' and the children were served first from the disgustingly bountiful display. She realized now why Meredeth had told her not to worry about the food, as there was the huge turkey, creamed and roasted potatoes, sweet corn, steamed broccoli and asparagus, home-made rolls, two kinds of stuffing, soy-turkey burgers and two kinds of gravy to float it all away. Once the little ones had their bowls filled up, the grown-ups started in and for the first time in her life since her parents' divorce, Andrea didn't give a damn about how much food she put on her plate. She was pregnant, after all and she needed to eat a healthy balance of protein and fibre and by God she was going to do it. She was the one in charge now, not those two; they never would be again.

It didn't escape Daniel's notice either and he smiled in subtle approval; his fiancee's plate was loaded with turkey, veggies, potatoes, stuffing and gravy and he knew she would eat up with guilt or fear of disapproval. Because he knew she would be in good hands with Ryan, Honey-Milk, Cam, and the woman named Robina Mazzara in the kitchen, he was perfectly comfortable being in the living room, watching the children all kneeling around the coffee table while Meredeth, Esposito, and Gil sat around the living room with them.

'So, Daniel, is it, you and Andrea are getting married in February?' Gil shoveled in stuffing and broccoli. 'Are you thinking church ceremony or having it in a hotel?'

'We're leaning towards hotel for the whole thing. We're both Catholics, but we don't feel obligated to have the ceremony in a church because of that alone.'

'You shouldn't.' Esposito gestured with his drumstick. 'Hell, I was an altar boy at San Gabriel until I was fifteen and hadn't been to regular service there, and Father Paolo Telmo still did our wedding.'

'Hey, that's a great idea, baby.' Meredeth looked at her husband. 'They should talk to Father Paolo about doing the ceremony. He's really down to earth and not preachy at all, and he won't make you attend any kind of pre-marriage counseling courses in order for him to do the thing.'

'And you know he's cool with doing the ceremony as much or as little traditional Catholic mass as you want, plus there's the fact he would marry you on a boat if you wanted.'

'He sounds great,' Daniel said. 'I'll talk to Andrea about it. She's leaving the choice of minister up to me. Oh and Meredeth, we would like you to do the cake.'

'Yeah? You'd like a Heart of Chelios? That's a lot of faith in me having never tasted it.'

'Actually, there's a little bit left over in the fridge, you can try it with dessert. It was a very Merry Christmas,' Esposito said with a wink and earning a smack from his wife.

'I'll kiss that better for you later,' she teased him, then stretched her neck to peer at how much Tessi had eaten. 'Tessiana, you need to eat your veggies.'

'Yes, Mami.'

'She has already eaten her 'pargus, Meredeth,' Dell informed her; where else would he eat but at Tessi's right side? 'She is workin' on her other vegetables.'

'You too, Kelley-belly,' Gil chipped in when he saw his own little girl had plowed through her turkey and stuffing and was poking at the roasted peppers and sweet-potatoes like they were aliens. 'They're not gonna bite you.'

'Fine-fine, Daddy.'

'Her way of saying 'okay' these days,' he said with a shake of his head.

'How's the food, Andrea?' Esposito asked, happy to see her eating plentifully. He'd heard the stories from Meredeth about how Andrea would eat almost nothing at family dinners with her sisters.

'Delicious,' she replied around a mouthful of stuffing and potatoes. 'How do you get those potatoes so creamy, Mere?'

'Real butter, eighteen-percent cream and a Kitchen-Aid stand-mixer.'

'I think I will take you up on that offer of some treats.'

'Yea!' Meredeth clapped excitedly, nearly upending her plate. 'My staples are healthy-cookies, smoothies, soups and pasta casseroles. Plus whatever you want to add in for your own taste.'

'You mean cravings, don't you?' Andrea clarified and Meredeth nodded excitedly.

'Cravings during pregnancy are as unique as the babies themselves. Honey-Milk couldn't get enough pizza when she was carrying Dell. Me, I was always wanting crunchy things with the twins. You had anything like that yet?'

'No.'

'Actually, that's not true, honey.' Daniel scraped the last of his gravy and stuffing off of his plate, gestured with his fork. 'The entire week between getting the tree and Christmas Eve, you had to have grape juice at least three times a day, sometimes with tortilla chips.'

Esposito laughed. 'And did you have to do any midnight runs for said grape juice and tortillas?'

'Does getting that call on the way home after shift count?'

'Half points.'

'Daddy! All done!' Kelley Mazzara stood up, held her plate out for inspection, and Gil nodded his approval.

'Mama's in the kitchen, go show her you're done. You ate all your veggies, right? Nothing hiding in your pockets for the dog?'

'Hey where is Arturo at?' Daniel asked, thinking of the giant honey-brown dog and how he hadn't bowled them over upon arrival. 'He being punished?'

'No, he's upstairs in his room. As much as he loves being around the action, he is almost ten and likes to chill out on his own. Don't worry, once we're doing presents and Secret Santa, he'll be right in the thick of things. He likes the bright paper.'

* * *

><p>Sure enough, an hour or so later when it was time for the presents and the Secret Santa, the mixed-breed dog made his appearance and snuffled at the paper that was discarded by the children who were opening their small trinkets like colouring books and travel-sized toys and small items of clothing. Everywhere he went, Arturo was greeted with a giggle and a friendly little pat on his thick neck from small hands, inlcuding RJ, who had decided to sit with Andrea while he opened up his present.<p>

'Annie doggy?' he asked, looking up at Andrea and Daniel. 'You puppy?'

'No, we don't have a puppy.'

'Good peasant, Daniel.'

Daniel laughed. 'We've got a wedding to plan and a baby to get ready for, big guy. Maybe next Christmas.'

'Okay, we do we all say now that we have our presents opened?' Beckett said in a voice like a school-teacher, and she was met with a little chorus of 'Thank-yous.' 'Now it's the grown-ups turn.'

'Yeah, I'm curious about this,' Daniel said to Ryan as they sipped after-dinner hard cider. 'How exactly does Secret Santa without giving out names ahead of time?'

'See, everyone gets a card with their Christmas card that says what they have to bring. You got one right?' At Daniel's nod, Ryan continued, 'They're all wrapped in different boxes and paper, and we play a round of Texas Hold'em to determine who goes first in choosing. You'll catch on.'

It didn't take long to get into the spirit as they did a few hands of poker to determine the order while the children played with their own toys. Daniel was lucky and drew an inside straight to score the third pick while Andrea was horribly unfortunate and going dead last.

'That means you have a great love-life,' he murmured to her, kissing her cheek.

'I know I do.'

'Daniel, it's your turn to chose,' Robina told him, having made her selection. Last year she'd been stuck with woolen socks; anything had to be better than that.

He perused the small mountain of loot and chose a long flat box, drummed his fingers on it as he wondered what was inside. Being a nurse anesthetist had taught him the value of patience, so that as the others chose and were subtly scratching at the tape, his own hands reminded itchy but they didn't touch the present. Finally, Andrea got to select and picked up the only remaining gift.

'Okay, sixty seconds of feeding frenzy, go!' Meredeth cried, and Andrea's head spun as they all shouted, tossed, passed and clutched the various parcels. Since she was sitting right beside her, Andrea traded with Beckett, and then traded again with her hubby-to-be. 'And stop! Okay, Andrea, you picked last for your gift, so you get to open yours up first.'

Andrea shredded into the paper, eyes going wide as she saw the box from some-place called the Sizzling Stork. Lifting the lid, she blushed red as her hair when she saw the pearl-grey negligee with matching panties and robe. 'Well, then,' she managed as the others wolf-whistled. 'Guess Santa thinks I should be the good kind of naughty.'

'Isn't that the kind of clothes that led you to being pregnant?' Castle asked not-so-innocently, getting an elbow in the ribs from his wife.

'No, but they're the kind you wear to make sure you practice lots to get it right,' Lanie fired back, making them all laugh. 'Who's next?'

Andrea watched, fingering the fabric of her new sexy underthings, while the others opened up their treasures - amongst other things Lanie got an iTunes card, Ryan got a small bottle of Irish whiskey, Esposito got a new game for his X-box and most awesomely of all, Daniel got two gift cards for dinner at Pookaloos, a very funky little diner in Midtown. The way she knew her appetite was going to increase, they would come in handy.

When it was time for clean-up, Meredeth hovered near Daniel. 'Javi told me what you two talked about, and I made sure that Andrea got the fancy sex-wear. You can thank me later.'

* * *

><p>R&amp;R&amp;Enjoy!<p> 


	13. Party and Planning: 6 Weeks

'Hey guys, come on in!'

Beckett opened the door of the loft to see Andrea and Daniel on the other side, and could see the slightly-glassy look in her new friend's eyes that could mean only one of three things - brutal morning sickness, good sex, or a combination of the two. Taking a chance, she added, 'Hope you're hungry, there's tonnes of food. Rick always has too much at these things.'

'Oh great, I'm starving,' Andrea replied, and nearly apologized but Beckett simply grinned.

'I remember those days with RJ.' She looped her arm through her friend's after helping them with their coats. 'Daniel, Ryan and Espo have been asking when you'd get here, they have pictures to show you from Christmas. And the kids want to see Andrea.'

'Oh, okay.' Just like at Christmas, it was clear that neither of them had to think too hard about things to talk about or worry about fitting in to such a well-established group. They just had to enjoy, Daniel realized as he watched Beckett take his bride-to-be over to the couches by the fireplace where he could see Honey-Milk, Dave, Cam and Lanie along with a cluster of the little ones. The men were over at the island where the lower half was a self-serve bar and the upper half was currently occupied with Ryan and Esposito going through photos on Ryan's laptop. They glanced up, gave Daniel hearty slaps on the shoulder when they saw it was him.

'Hey bro, Happy New Year, glad you could make it,' Ryan said. 'Here, come check it out, we have the pics from getting the tree and Christmas.'

Espo moved down a little so that he and his partner formed a sandwich around Daniel; as Ryan was the more tech savvy of the two, Esposito left running the slide to him while he fixed the man a drink. 'You want beer, scotch, martini?'

'I'll take a Tom Collins with white rum, if you've got the mix.'

'Sure do,' Esposito replied. 'Lili and company will be here soon, she said Rosie and Duncan are excited to see the babies and 'Indedible Daniel,' as Rosie calls you. Think you've got a secret admirer there.'

'No more than my son's crush on Andrea,' Ryan agreed, then turned the laptop to Daniel. 'Here we are, check these out.'

Daniel rested his elbows on the tiled counter-top and looked at the photos, felt his heart give a little lurch. Lanie had snapped one zoomed-in photo of him and Andrea admiring their tree in the forest. It was the happiest Daniel had seen Andrea since the whole murder case had broken, and there was a really soft, motherly glow to her expression. Pregnancy did indeed look good on his beautiful girl.

'Oh, and there's this one,' Ryan added, flipping through to a picture of Daniel holding one of the twins against his chest in the kitchen after tree cutting. 'Thought you might like to have those printed off, especially the one of you with Trini, just in case you are at the end of your tether with your wife's hormones it helps to have a little reminder what the prize at the bottom of that cereal box is.'

'Thanks man.' Daniel glanced over at Andrea, who was talking with Lanie and Violet - the little girl was sitting in Andrea's lap and watching her belly like it was Jiffy-Pop about to puff up - and felt a surge of pride. Ryan had called her Daniel's wife already and it was still two months to the wedding, but it felt so natural to say that already. She's pretty great isn't she?'

'I think that's how we all feel about our girls,' Castle agreed, having appeared from his office like an apparition. 'You guys picked out a tune yet for karaoke night?'

'I'm torn between 'Heart of Gold' or 'Twisting the Night Away,' Ryan replied, making a little 'Print for Daniel' file on his laptop.

'When in doubt, always go with Neil Young. Javier, what about you?'

'Ask me after I've had a few more drinks. Mostly, I wanna hear Shane sing.'

'Oh right, Alexis' boyfriend,' Daniel said, flipping through his mental index. With all of the people and faces he'd seen between work and three big gatherings in the last two weeks, some of it was a little blurry. 'He's a good singer?'

'Allegedly, though none of us have really heard him.' Esposito passed Daniel his drink, then made up a second glass of orange juice, ginger-ale and a dash of lemon. 'Take this over to Andrea. Mere loved them when she was pregnant with the twins.'

The men watched him go over to his bride, hand her the drink, and Castle grinned. 'We need to do a good bachelor party weekend with him. Not Vegas, though, he told me he's saving as much vacation time as he can for the baby stuff.'

'Are we even going to be able to do that?' Esposito asked. 'The weekend before he gets married is Valentine's Day.'

'Then we'll make it the weekend of the seventh,' Castle replied, unphased. 'There's a UFC fight on the sixth at the Cesar's AC. I'll talk to my ticket broker. And the entertaining ladies of the east coast are just as classy as Vegas, if you know where to go.'

'Won't even ask how you know that, Castle.' Beckett strolled up, gave her husband a little peck on the cheek. 'You boys already planning the proper send-off for Daniel into married life?'

'We're thinking the Vegas of the East,' Esposito said.

'Ah, good plan. Just hope you guys throw him a _real_ party like we're giving Andrea.'

Castle gave his wife a squeezing hug around the waist. 'And what might that entail?'

'Wouldn't you like to know? Oh, oh. Better go save Andrea from the Three Musketeers,' Beckett giggled as she saw Carey, Dell, Tessi and Violet climb onto the couch with Andrea and Daniel, all but surrounding her. She wandered over just in time to hear the end part of Dell's sentence.

'No, Violet, the baby eats what the mama eats 'cause of the belly-button. They are attached at the tummies.'

'Why?'

'Because that's how babies work,' Carey said with a little bit of exasperation, then looked up at Andrea. 'She is suh-till very little, Andrea, she needs a lot of help.'

'I no' liddle!' Violet pouted magnificently. 'I one! I big!'

'You gettin' big,' Tessi agreed, playing peacemaker. 'Carey, say sorry.'

'Be nice,' RJ added from his spot on the floor. 'Mumum? Be nice?'

'Yes, you should all play nice with each other.'

Andrea had to laugh. Whoever believed children were lacking in social understanding had clearing never met this little group, she thought as she scooped up chicken stir-fry. She sipped the mock-tail her husband- no her _fiance_, he wasn't her husband yet - had brought her, then gave Carey a wink after he'd apologized to his little sister. 'That's very nice of you to do, Carey.'

'An-de-ah, needa na'kin?' Tessi asked, getting to her feet. 'No messy.'

'Oh, sure sweetie..'

'Okay. Hi-hi Alessis! Hi-hi Shane!' the toddler added brightly when the couple walked into the loft. 'I get a na-kin!'

'Okay, honey!'

'Man, this is some strange little family,' Andrea commented, watching how Tessi toddled off, finding the napkins and Alexis and Shane both found their way over to conversations. 'It's like everyone's got their own little role to fill, even the children.'

'Give it a little time, you'll figure out where you fit in with us,' Lanie smiled at her. 'No one person's more important than the other, and even when you feel like 'what the hell am I doing here' we will never make you feel like and outsider.'

'Mama, no bad words,' Carey said sternly, and actually wagged his little index finger at his mother.

'Sorry, baby, you're right. No bad words.' She tucked her feet up under her butt. 'So, what are you going to sing for karaoke tonight? Daniel, you gonna brave it?'

'Hell yes. I had a look, they've got our song on the selection book,' Daniel said to Andrea, which had the mother-to-be going a little pale.

'Seriously?'

'Of course. Just consider it practice for the wedding, saying my vows.'

Andrea could only take a really big gulp of her drink and shake her head. Daniel loved to sing, but the man could barely carry a tune in a basket, which had made her wince more than once in the shower with him, or tonight. When they got the karaoke night underway, she heard him singing along softly to whatever song was on the machine as they all watched. She was very thankful she'd brought her camera with her - she'd made the conscious effort to do so as she wanted to begin filling up albums with this new family that had accepted her, even if she was only beginning to feel the emotional connection to most of them.

She was especially thankful she had her camera with her as Shane and Alexis finished their rendition of Old 97s _Question_ and Shane stayed holding Alexis' hand as he dropped to one knee, asking for her to marry him. Beside her, she felt Lanie's hand grip hers tightly in excitement as she squeaked out 'oh my God!' and everyone began to whistle and cheer when Alexis' head bobbed in an affirmative answer. The newly engaged couple shared a steamy kiss before everyone stood up to give them congratulations.

'Come on.' Lanie tugged on her hand and pulled Andrea to her feet, and they made their way through the crush of other well-wishers to wrap their arms around Alexis. Needless to say, the pretty redhead was weeping unashamed tears of joy. 'Lexy! Let's see that ring, girlfriend!'

Alexis held out her hand, and Andrea whistled. 'That's some nice bling, sweetie. Your man has good taste.'

'I still can't believe it, I mean, we both agreed we want to get married after a long engagement, but I had no idea he'd do it tonight!' She pressed the tips of her fingers under her eyes and smiled. 'Were you this much of a mess when Daniel proposed, Andrea?'

'Yeah, I was a total mess. You held it together much better than I did, but then again Daniel and I were alone at home, just us. You'll make a beautiful bride Alexis.'

'Oh.' Alexis' tears started up again and she pulled Andrea in for a tight hug, then pressed her fingers to her lips. 'Andrea, I'm sorry, I got your blouse all splotchy.'

'Meh, it's okay. I'm going to be a mom, right?' She grinned back. 'I better get used to it.'

From across the room, Beckett, Lili and Meredeth watched Andrea with Alexis and Lanie 'It's so nice to finally see Andrea letting them in,' Meredeth commented. 'Well, not finally, but starting to, you know?'

'I know what you mean,' Lili agreed. 'You think her and Daniel have any idea about what you and Richard have up your sleeves for the wedding?'

Beckett shook her head. 'Nope, and we're not going to hint at a damn thing.'

* * *

><p>R&amp;R&amp;Enjoy!<p> 


	14. Dinner with Dad

The morning of the seventh, Daniel and Andrea were waiting for Harvey in the room of the clinic while he finished up his morning appointment and working on some wedding details; no reason they couldn't multitask since they had less than two months to the twenty-first.

'So we're agreed? You're sure?'

Andrea just looked at her fiance, smiled at him. 'Daniel, I am one hundred and forty-two percent certain this is the menu I want to have at our wedding.'

Daniel nodded, then picked up his pen to fill out the form for the caterers. 'So for pre-dinner hors-d'oeuvres, we're going with arrancini di riso-'

'That's the cheesy rice balls, right?'

'Yep, plus prosciutto and fontina-stuffed mushrooms and red pepper pesto on toast points. For the kids there are mini pizzas and fried gnocchi with cheese.'

'And for the soup course, we're doing minestrone, plain tomato and rotini for the children and the vegetarians,' Andrea added, looking over their antipasti options. 'Why again do Ryan, Robina and Cam have to eat the tomato-rotini?'

'Because it's a beef-and-tomato broth for the minestrone.'

'Right. Main course is chicken parmigiana and eggplant parmigiana for the vegetarians, and cheese pizza for the kids. Then table-side gelato cart for dessert, plus cake and coffee to follow.'

'I think that sounds like a delicious way to start our married life together.'

Daniel gave Andrea a quick kiss, then because she tasted so good, leaned in for another one and would have stayed there when he heard a discreet cough from Harvey. He pulled back, a little red-cheeked. 'Morning, Doctor.'

'Good morning, Nurse Brick. Andrea, how are you feeling today?'

'Alternating between nauseous and hungry, but I haven't been actually sick to my stomach,' she replied.

'That's good. And you're keeping up your vitamins?' At her nod, Harvey nodded back while he read the output on the blood-pressure cuff. 'Looking good, one-eighteen over eighty. Let's have a look at the body weight.'

Daniel watched with baited breath as Harvey measured her weight and let it out when she was at one-ninety-one. Though Andrea wouldn't openly admit it, he knew that the weight gain was a concern of hers, not for her own appearance but for health reasons. He moved from his spot in the chair to the head of the exam table as Harvey drew her blood sample, then instructed her to lie down so he could do the sonogram. At the sight of the image on-screen, he decided to be the funny-daddy this time around.

'It looks like a tadpole,' he commented, making Andrea giggle.

'You're not far off,' Harvey chuckled, freezing the image on-screen. 'Those little flipper-looking things are the arm and foot buds, and the head is oversized right now but the rest of the body will adjust itself. The heart is good and strong. You've got one tough little acorn there. I'll print you a copy. Unless there's an issue with your blood work, I'll see you.'

'Great. Andrea, do I need to put any dietary concerns on this info-sheet for the caterer?'

'Yeah.' She sat up, wiping off the cold-blue gel from her abdomen. 'Lanie is deathly allergic to shellfish and Dell is diabetic.'

'Got it. Okay, I'll be dropping this off after shift.'

'Actually, it might have to wait a moment,' Harvey told them. 'We've just been paged by trauma, looks like we need to prep for an emergency c-section.'

'Hey, look at that,' Andrea said proudly, digging out her lucky tropical-fish scrub cap from her pocket. 'It is possible to be a nurse, a parent to be and a wedding planner all at once.'

* * *

><p>Andrea made it home on time after shift, for which she was immensely thankful as she'd nearly forgotten she and Daniel were having the Ryans for dinner that night until she'd bumped into Honey-Milk and she'd asked if she needed to bring anything. How Andrea could have forgotten since she had something very important to discuss with them about the wedding was beyond her, but nonetheless by the time Daniel arrived home an hour after her, the chicken and potatoes were roasted in the oven, she had fresh coffee made - decaf now - and was just wondering if it was too early to slice bread when the intercom buzzed.<p>

'Hello?'

'It's us.'

'Come on up.'

A few minutes later, there was a knock on the door and Andrea's smile was genuine and warm when she opened it to see Honey-Milk, Mallory and Dell on the other side. Dell, of course, was all smiles and greeted her like a little prince.

'Hello Andrea! Hello baby!'

'Hello Dell, how are you?'

'I am doing guh-reat, thank you Andrea. These are for you.' He held out a bouquet of flowers to her. 'How is your baby feelin'?'

'Hungry, but that's normal because the baby wants to get big and strong.'

'Like me!' With her coat and boots off Mallory came over, gave Andrea's tummy a pat. 'Baby need noo-dee-ints.'

'We are learning all about healthy eating at school,' Dell said proudly as he put down his bag by the couch. 'We are learning about nu-tuh-rients. Did you know that milk has cal-ci-um in it?'

'I did learn that.'

'It's in our milk and cheese and ice cream. I have to have a suh-pecial kind of ice cream because I have diabetes.'

'He nee-nills,' Mallory explained, looking around at the apartment. 'Nee-nills ouchie. Bu' no tears. Daddy soon.'

'Ryan got held up in court, he'll be here shortly,' Honey-Milk added, taking off her coat while Andrea put the flowers in a vase on the table. 'Mallory, Dell, you may draw if you like, or if Andrea says it's okay, you may watch something on TV.'

'Wall-E!' Mallory clapped her hands together. 'Bots!'

'Aren't you tired of Wall-E yet, Mally?' Dell asked as he got out his books from his back-pack, with his rex overseeing the activity.

'No. Love 'bots. An' Dell.'

'Love you too Mally. You will have to wait to watch your 'bots because I have homework to do.'

'Dell, how do you have homework?' Andrea asked as he pulled out a pencil case and began to write.

'I have to do a pre-sen-ta-tion for the big kids on next Wednesday.'

Honey-Milk grinned as Andrea passed her a warm cup of coffee. 'Dell's teacher is thinking of putting him in the first grade class twice a week for language and math. He's so smart.'

'That's exciting.'

'He can already read Geronimo Jones and the Bobbsey Twins out loud with some help too. I just worry that if he gets stressed it'll send his sugars out of orbit, you know?'

'It's understandable, but then, the teacher wouldn't think of doing it if they didn't think he was mature enough. My teachers in grade six wanted to move me up, but they decided against it when my parents split up because they thought it would be too much change all at once. I ended up fast-tracking high-school instead.'

'Were you good at math and language too?' Dell asked, and Andrea nodded.

'I was very good at math and science, especially chemistry.'

'What chemi-ty?' Mallory asked, then giggled when Daniel walked out of the bedroom without his shirt on. 'Daniel! You no' dess!'

'Oh, hey guys I didn't hear you come in. I just woke up.' Daniel walked over, gave Andrea a kiss. 'I'll go put on a shirt before poor little Marsh-Mally has a heart attack.'

Andrea felt a happy little rush in her veins as she watched her soon-to-be husband walk back down the hallway and giggled. 'I couldn't blame Mallory if she did go a little goofy. He's a handsome man.'

'I think you mean sexy as...as.' Honey-Milk winked, leaving off the end word since children were present. 'How are the hormones treating you so far?'

'They've been touch and go. Fortunately for me, I've been more weepy than snappy. Then I give Daniel a hug and wanna bite him all over.'

Honey-Milk laughed, thinking of her own husband and how she'd felt like that when she'd been pregnant both times. She opened her mouth to tell Andrea it was perfectly natural to go from weepy to horny in a nanosecond but before any words came out, the intercom buzzed again. It was indeed her own sweetheart, and when Daniel emerged fully-clothed this time to answer the door, he watched in fascination as both Mallory and Dell raced to their father, gave him big hugs and kisses.

'Daddy! How was work today?' Dell asked eagerly.

'Dash baddies?' Mallory chimed in, not to be outdone.

'Yeah, Auntie Katie and I got the bad guy today.'

'Yea Daddy!' The little girl kissed his cheek, then tugged him into the living room. 'We vissin', Daddy.'

'I can see that,' Ryan laughed, then stood up from the crouch he was in to be at eye level with his kids. 'How's it going, Daniel?'

'Not bad. Coffee?'

'Sure.'

He headed into the living room, took a seat beside his wife and accepted the mug Daniel brought over to him. When Daniel sat down beside his fiancee, he put his hand on her thigh in support to give her the extra little bit of courage she unconsciously needed to ask her question.

'So, the main reason we wanted to invite you over is because I have something very important I want to ask you, Kevin.' Andrea looked at Daniel, then back at Honey-Milk and Ryan. 'Kevin, I would like you to give me away at the wedding.'

Ryan blinked. 'Seriously?'

'Yeah. Andrea nodded. 'You and Daniel are the only men I've ever seen stand up for me against my family, and you have no idea what that means to me. I've been bullied by them for so long it took you both to open my eyes to the fact of just letting it go was akin to letting them get away with it. Daniel is the love of my life, and you...you're the best big brother I could ask for.'

'I'd be completely honoured.'

'Oh, thank you. Oh, dammit. Damn, damn, damn.' She waved her hands in front of her face, and fought for control. 'Friggin' hormones.'

'No tears.' Mallory, ever the softie, saw the shimmer of water in Andrea's eyes; she a tissue from the box on the table and climbing onto Andrea's lap, dabbed at the woman's cheeks. 'No be sad.'

'I'm not sad, Mally. Just sometimes, when a lady is growing a baby inside, her body does funny things and makes her cry sometimes.'

'Moosh bedda?'

'Yeah, sometimes a kiss makes it better.'

'Daniel, moosh An'ea,' Mallory instructed him. 'Fee' bedda.'

Now Andrea laughed as Daniel moved closer and laid his lips to hers. It was a sweet, innocent gesture yet it had her going to her happy place in a microsecond. She blushed a little as Mallory clapped.

'All bedda?'

'Yes, I'm all better, sweetie.'

* * *

><p>R&amp;R&amp;Enjoy!<p> 


	15. Good Morning My Love

Daniel awoke early on his day off, not only because he was used to waking early but also because he wanted a moment to just watch his beautiful girl. They had an action packed day ahead of them - Andrea was going to meet Meredeth to get her dress fitted, Daniel was going to have his tux done, and then they were going to look at floral arrangements; after that was done, they were going back up to Chelsea to taste cakes with Meredeth and when that was done, they were going to finalize their guest list so Andrea and Honey-Milk could print the official invitations. Even thinking about it made his head spin a little, so Daniel just blocked it out and instead watched her breathe deeply as she continued to doze.

She was so brave, he thought, and half the time she didn't even know it. He could only fathom the supreme courage it took for her to do the family-esque things they'd begun doing with the gang from the Twelfth precinct when history had taught her that people who said they were her family treated her like a flesh-and-blood emotional punching bag and overcoming nearly twenty years of that was no easy task. Reaching out, he touched the silky fan of her hair on the pillow, wondering if she might bat him away in her sleep; Andrea was the heaviest sleeper and most violent dreamer he'd ever met. She'd punched him in the chest once when she'd been dreaming, waking Daniel out of a dead sleep while she was still out cold. Only when they'd shared bagels on the way to work the next morning had she realized she'd been dreaming they were on a dive in the Bahamas and being stalked by a black-tip reef shark.

Right now, he was fairly certain there was no sharks, zombies, or insane clown tarantulas chasing her around Queens, Jamaica or anywhere else her busy little brain. There was just Andrea. Andrea Darcy Hermione Hennessey, soon to be Andrea Darcy Hermione Brick. Daniel knew she would change her name and that she would be undergoing the annoying process of informing the certification boards she was undergoing a name change because she was getting married. But he was her husband and she was his wife, Andrea had said in her tone that left no doubt whether or not her mind was made up.

He watched her inhale deeply, her eyes go back and forth beneath her eyelids before they lifted and those smoky pools focused on him. 'Morning, beautiful,' he murmured.

'Hi, sweetie. You been up long?'

'Ten minutes, tops.'

'I was dreaming.'

'That quietly?' Daniel asked with a note of surprise in his voice. 'About what?'

'Our wedding night. We were in this old Irish castle, the royal bedchamber and standing in front of the fire, and undressing each other.'

'Sounds good so far.'

'And then I woke up,' she said on a little laugh, propping her head on her hand. 'Never had a chance to get to the good stuff.'

Daniel kissed her lips, letting them curve up. 'That's what you think.'

Andrea smiled back at him as he nudged her so she was flat on her back beneath him, his lips fastening to hers. He was the most amazing kisser, one touch of that mouth on hers and it was like everything in the universe disappeared but for them. Time and space, heaven and earth, all of it gone and just them floating and drifting and wrapped up in each other. She moved softly against his rock-hard body, felt the little rock-hard him against her and moaned into that gorgeous mouth.

He felt his head swim as her breasts rose and fell with each deep breath she took, the heavy cotton of her sleep-tank unable to disguise the fact her body was responding to his, and one hand streaked underneath the fabric to cup and squeeze that creamy, smooth-skinned globe. Her moan was underlined this time with a little whimper of delight, which made Daniel's blood run hotter. With a quick tug, he pulled her up so she was kneeling with him in the middle of the bed and he was peeling the tank over her head. His eyes glowed with lustful appreciation.

'Damn, Andrea, you are such a female,' he breathed, stroking his hands up and down her arms, then her sides, until they finally rested against her hormone-heavy breasts His thumbs scraped over the sensitive points, making him hesitate only a moment before she nodded as she arched into his touch. 'My beautiful girl.'

'Daniel.' She put her palm to his cheek, let her hand drift around to the nape of his neck. 'I love you.'

'I love you too. Both of you.' His mouth found hers once again, his hands gently massaging her breasts as he tumbled them back to the mattress, and he shoved at his boxers so he could press himself against her, let her feel just what she did to him. He let his lips drift in a slow, meandering trail down the side of her neck where he felt her pulse rabbit wildly beneath her skin, down over her collarbone, down to the valley of sweet skin between those magnificent breasts that were all-natural, all-Andrea before he drifted to the centre of one and took that heated rosy tip between his lips to kiss and suckle.

This time, Andrea's response was a sharp gasp of pleasure as her senses took over. Her hands rested against the back of his head, then fell away as she felt those clever hands shove her panties down her body so they were naked together in their bed, loving each other with the eager patience that was uniquely theirs. Her heart thumped thickly for him, the beat of it echoing the throb between her thighs as his thumb scraped over her nipple in exquisite torture as her hips thrust up against his.

'Daniel,' she sighed in his ear, 'you...I...'

'Take your time, Andrea,' he murmured back, 'there's no rush, my love.'

'You feel so good, baby.'

'Mm, so do you.' The slick wetness of her arousal against him made the animal urge to mate hard for Daniel to ignore but one look at her angelic face, lax with lust and need for him and him alone and he knew he would do whatever she asked of him. 'Tell me what you need, sweetheart, what do you need from me this morning?'

'Just you. Just you to love me.'

'Always.'

Daniel traced his index finger down the centre of her lush, goddess-like body. While many would have slighted her for the extra curve of flesh below her navel, he found it one of the most sensual parts of her body; it meant even more now, as it was beneath that little hill that their baby was growing. He dipped his head to taste it and smiling, kissed even lower, lower still until he found her honeypot, sweet and slick and sexy as hell. His hands were on her hips to keep her in place even as she ground against him, pulsing under his mouth. He could hear her low, gutteral moans of pleasure and knew her reaction to an orgasm this way would be loud indeed.

What a mouth the man had, Andrea thought briefly as tiny sparks ricocheted off of every nerve ending. He could ask her to commit murder for him right now and she'd agree. As she twisted her hands over the back of his head, she continued to tell him loud and clear just how much she liked it; her words were broken into syllables as she felt the orgasm build, then explode through her. Then he was moving up her body, drinking in every part of her before he was pressing into her. With a gentle kiss to her palm, he took her hand and guided it down between their bodies.

'Andrea.'

He only needed to say her name and she knew what he wanted. Still adrift in the post-orgasm sea from him tongue on her trigger, she reached down and closed her hand over him, positioned him so with a small thrust, he was entering her, every last inch of him.

'So big,' she moaned in his ear, and made him feel like a god. 'So very, very big.'

Daniel brushed his hand over her forehead before crushing his mouth to hers as he stroked her, each pass eliciting a whimper of ecstacy from her lips. He started out slow, then increased his speed so that by the time she was moaning in his ear she was coming again, she was all but vibrating with need and it didn't take long for her body to start to shudder in pleasure, nor for his to follow.

He collapsed on top of her, gulping in air like a drowning man pulled from the sea. His forehead rested on the pillow by her head and he turned so he could lay his lips on her shoulder. When he saw her eyes were closed in post-coital bliss, he shifted off of her so that he could rub his hand over her abdomen.

'Hey in there,' he murmured. 'I don't know if you can hear me yet, but it's Daddy and what me and your mama just did, that's kinda how you got here. And we'll be doing lots of that as you get bigger inside mama, so once your hands get big enough you'll need to cover your little ears, okay? That's just for mamas and daddies.'

'Already having a sex-talk with our child, Daniel?' Andrea chuckled, having lifted one eyelid when she'd heard him begin to speak.

'Something like that.' He moved back up her body, rolling her once more so they faced each other, laying on their sides in their big bed. 'You nervous for today?'

'Yeah. I hope you like the dress I'm picking out. More, I hope I don't start showing between now and when I get the final tailoring done before the wedding.'

'Andrea, you could wear it when you're thirty-eight weeks pregnant and you would be the most beautiful woman in the world to me.'

'I'll remember you said that when I am sweaty and red-faced and unloading my intestines on the birthing table when I'm at the pushing stage of childbirth.' Andrea paused, frowned. 'Daniel, you know that whole part of what we did while making love, where you use your mouth on me?'

'Yeah.'

'Will you still want to do that, once I'm getting bigger, once I've given birth?'

'Of course,' he said without hesitation. 'You're my Andrea, you're going to be my wife and the mother of my child. I will love and make to every last square inch of this beautiful body until the day I die.'

'Okay. Okay,' she repeated. 'It's just...it can be a bit of a turn-off, having seen a human head stretching out of that region, you know?'

'Andrea, the birth is just one day, a couple hours out of a life time together. What this is, between us, that's forever.'

'I know that too and...oh. Oh, no, come on!'

'Babe?' Daniel scrambled out of the way as Andrea leaped out of bed and raced for the bathroom; he realized what was the matter the moment he heard her beginning to retch something awful. 'Oh, my little dove,' he murmured, finding his boxers and retrieving a towel for her. 'Morning sickness is not a desired chaser for morning sex, is it?'

* * *

><p>R&amp;R&amp;Enjoy<p> 


	16. A Trip to the Tailor A

The first stop on the magical wedding tour was Valkan Tailors, where Andrea met Meredeth who also had Tessi and the twins with her.

'I couldn't get a sitter so the babies are coming with,' she said with a little note of apology. 'But Leo and Trini are down for the count and Tessi is a good little girl to shop with.'

'I good. No fussin',' Tessi added. 'Godda wash babies.'

Andrea smiled as she held open the door for Meredeth with the double stroller, and they walked into the dress shop that simply screamed of money and good taste. The soft flattering lights overhead gave the room an ethereal feel, like everyone in there was floating. Beside her, Meredeth sighed wistfully.

'Last time I was here, I was getting a bridesmaid's dress for Lanie's wedding. They are fabulous here.'

'Meredeth!'

Andrea watched as a squat, round woman with silver-and-gold hair smoothed into a chignon at the back of her head approached them, gripping Meredeth's hands in greeting. 'Margha, good to see you again.'

'And look at these beautiful babies!' Margha leaned in to have a look at Leo and Trini nestled together into one half of the double stroller while Tessi sat patiently in the other. 'Miss Tessi, you are getting so big!'

'I be tee soon!'

'You'll be three, that's practically a grown-up lady, isn't it? And this must be our lovely bride to be.' Margha turned to Andrea, stuck out her hand. 'Welcome. I'm Margha Van Valken.'

'Andrea Hennessey, soon to be Andrea Brick.'

'Meredeth's told me so many lovely things about you. You were in the room when all three of these gorgeous children were born.' Her eyes twinkled like a grandmother's. 'She also mentioned you are having a little one of your own as well?'

'Uh-huh. The night Daniel asked me to marry him, I got more than a ring, it seems.'

'So romantic. Come, come, I have some pieces and designs for you set aside. You and Meredeth are of a similar body type so I do believe that we will be able to find something that is just perfect for your big day. How many weeks will you be by the twentieth?'

'About thirteen, give or take a few days.'

Margha nodded sagely. 'Of course. We may not need to do many alterations at all. Most women don't truly pop until they are at fourteen weeks or so. All of a sudden, they spring up like daisies.'

'Baby 'till lit-tle,' Tessi agreed. 'Be bigger soon.'

'Yes, it is still going to be very little at the wedding.'

'Mama dess too?'

'Oh, I don't know honey,' Meredeth laughed as they made their way back to the private fitting room. 'That's Andrea's decision to make if I need a fancy dress. Have you given any thought to it?'

'I have. Daniel's asking his brother to be his best man and also your husband to be up there with us.'

'What about you?'

'Well...I've already asked Kate Beckett to be a bridesmaid, and...I'd like you to be up there with me too, as my maid of honour,' Andrea confessed with a little blush. 'I know we haven't been friends for very long but...you've always inspired me.'

'Of course I'll stand up for you, Andrea.' Meredeth gave her a grin, then looked at Tessi. 'Looks like Mami will need a fancy dress after all.'

'Yea! Mami pidy pin-cess! An-de-ah too!' The little girl clapped her hands, then looked at Margha as she brought in a rack of dresses, tops and bottoms. 'Mami an' An-de-ah be pidy pin-cess!'

'I'm sure they will be. Now this is our fabric book, and we can do any design in any colour you want,' Margha explained to Andrea, giving her the sample palette. 'Did you have any colour in mind for your bridesmaids?'

'I want them both in Cozumel blue pyjama satin, with the cut meant to flatter their figures. The flowers are going to be a mix of pink, white and yellow tropical blossoms so I want it to look like ocean water.'

'A beautiful idea. Meredeth I have your measurements on file, today, Andrea, we'll have a look at you. In your undies, on the pedestal if you please.'

Andrea ducked into the dressing room, all the while wondering if her impulse to ask Meredeth to be her maid of honour had been the right one. The woman was busy enough with three children under the age of three and she had an active life of her own, not to mention time with her husband. When she came back out barefoot in her bra and panties, she saw Meredeth had Tessi sitting on the bench beside her, talking to her.

'I understand, sweetie, it's not like when you and I go shopping, but Andrea is part of our family now.'

'Love fam-ee, tay-dare fam-ee.'

'That's right we love our family and we take care of them.'

Andrea swallowed thickly, then blew out a breath as she waited for the sneering, clucking tongue of the seamstress. Instead, Margha just noted down the numbers discreetly in a binder with Andrea's name on the tab.

'Forty on the bust, thirty-one on the waist and forty-five on the hips. Inseam from groin to ankle bone is thirty-three inches and hip-bone to shoulder is twenty-four. You're a long one, Miss Hennessey, just like Meredeth. Now what kind of neckline are you thinking?'

'Nothing with thin spaghetti straps, and nothing that makes my boobs look flattened.'

Margha looked over her half-rim glasses at Meredeth. 'She sounds just like you. Are you certain you two aren't blood sisters?'

'Yes, I'm sure,' Meredeth laughed. 'But since she is a busty lass like me, what about an off-shoulder bateau neckline?'

Margha stood up, riffled through her selections on the rack until she came to the top with such a silhouette, then pinned it on Andrea's body. 'What do you think?'

'I like it, but the sleeves feel a little like they're falling off.'

'What about now?' She made some adjustments and looking at her reflection, Andrea nodded.

'I love that. What do you think, Mere and Tessi?'

'An-de-ah boo-ti-ful,' Tessi breathed. 'Big boobs like Mami.'

Andrea giggled, pressed a hand above her cleavage. 'They are pretty big, aren't they?'

'Once you have your wedding lingerie to go underneath, when we do the next fitting on the twenty-ninth, we'll be able to make the adjustments as necessary,' Margha reassured her, then began to take bottoms off the rack, put them on display hangers. 'Given your measurements, the fact you are pregnant and what you'd be comfortable in, these are the best styles of skirts to match this bodice.'

'Okay.' Andrea stepped down off the pedestal, looked at them. 'Definitely not that one,' she said, pointing to a tulle concoction. 'That is way too ballerina tutu for me.'

'Agreed,' Meredeth chimed in.

She moved on to the next one, considered it. It was more of a ballroom gown with a pin-tucked joining hemline. 'Can we try that one?'

'Absolutely.' Margha pulled it off the rack, then paused as she saw Andrea's face go green. Setting aside the skirt, she pointed Andrea in the direction of the ladies room. 'Oh here, dear, right in there.'

Meredeth made a face of sympathy when she heard Andrea begin to cough. 'She's been through a lot the last month.'

'So you said. She's a very brave girl.'

'One of the best I know. She helped me and Javi stay sane when all our babies were born.'

They waited in patient silence until Andrea emerged a few minutes later, looking herself again. 'I'm so sorry-'

'Don't be.' Margha waved her off. 'You're pregnant, morning sickness comes with it. Now, let's get this on you and see what we think.'

Grateful for understanding, Andrea slipped the skirt onto her body where Margha pinned it in place, but even before she'd finished, Andrea knew it wasn't the right one. 'No, I don't think so. It makes me look like a snow-beast. Mere?'

'I would have say a white-chocolate Mallomar, but that's just semantics.' Meredeth crossed, then uncrossed her legs when she saw Trini starting to fuss a little, so she put the baby on her knee with a supportive grip. 'It makes your hips look way too wide and makes you look like you're thirty-six weeks pregnant, not just six and a half.'

'We don't want that. I mean, I want to look pregnant, but at the appropriate stages, you know?'

'I know. When I was pregnant with Tessi, I had a little bit of a meltdown at the pharmacy after the little twiggy cashier asked me how many days I was overdue when I was only twelve weeks.'

Andrea looked at Meredeth, sleek and curvy in her cashmere sweater and warm looking black pants, trying to fathom her on the verge of total meltdown; being in labour didn't count, that was a special circumstance. 'I'm not worried that Daniel will stop loving my body or anything with gaining weight because I'm having a , I just don't want people to see my wedding photo and go, oh it's so obvious she's pregnant and trying to hide it.'

'Okay, we find you a different one.'

They shot down another four styles; each time Margha unpinned the skirt, put it back on the hanger, and moved on to the next one. After the fifth option was put in the 'No' category, Margha pursed her lips before leaving and returning momentarily with a dropped waist ballgown silhouette. 'Hmm, I wonder. Let's just try this one.'

Andrea waited with baited breath as she watched Margha pin on the satin to the bodice. When the seamstress stepped back, the bride-to-be gasped.

'That's it,' she said with a wobble in her voice. 'That's it right there. That's what I'm going to wear for my wedding. What do you think Mere?'

'I think Daniel's a lucky man. What do you think Tessi?'

'An-ee-ah pincess. Like Alessis.'

'You won't find much higher praise than that,' Meredeth laughed. 'What do you think, Trini?'

Trini looked up at her mami, blinked and sneezed. 'I'll take that as a yes,' Andrea giggled, then felt her stomach pitch again. 'Oh man. Does this part ever get better?' she asked through gritted teeth.

'Yeah, it does. If it helps, no matter how impossible it might seem, even if you are marrying the world's most manly of manly men, they are turn into sweaty bundles of anxious nerves on their wedding days too.'

'Really? Even Javi?'

'Even our brother-in-law Cam, and he did three tours of duty in Iraq as a medic with the Marines. Javi said he was less stressed when he was starting physiotherapy after being discharged from active service.' Meredeth watched as Margha made more notes and Andrea stepped out of the clothes and back into her own. 'Daniel maybe look like Schwarzenegger but he will be giddy as a little boy on your wedding day.'

* * *

><p>R&amp;R&amp;Enjoy!<p> 


	17. A Trip to the Tailor B

While Andrea had her own little cheerleaders in Tessi and Meredeth while they decided on Andrea's wedding dress, the quartet consisting of Castle, RJ, Esposito and Daniel were in a similar situation as they received top-notch treatment from Castle's personal tailor. Castle sat in the comfortable wing-back chair while he got his Tim-Gunn on and helped Daniel pick out his wedding attire.

'No bow-ties,' Daniel said firmly as the tailor pinned up the hem of the black tuxedo pants. 'Ascots all the way.'

'Where do you stand on vests and-or cummerbund?'

'Vest. Maybe something with a stitched-in paisley? So that you only see the pattern when it hits the light.'

'That sounds good. RJ, what are you doing?' Castle asked his son, who looked like he was trying to do a handstand in front of the mirror.

'Haffin' fun, Daddy.'

'If you say so. Come on over here.' He patted the space beside him in the chair. 'We need another bro's opinion.'

'I bo! I help!'

RJ righted himself, sat down beside his father to study Daniel. 'Fan-cy,' he declared. 'Way fan-cy.'

'What do you think, should he be wearing a black tie to go with his jacket or should he be wearing a white tie to match Andrea's dress?'

'Mash Annie. Pay nice.'

Daniel laughed; it was hard to argue with the logic of a thirteen-month-old. 'White it is, then. It'll be the same fabric as her dress.'

'Just like Mere and I did,' Esposito commented as he emerged from his own changing booth, did a little spin. 'Whatcha think?'

'Pito fan-cy. Me-wee fan-cy too?'

'No idea if she gets to be fancy too, my man. That's a decision for Andrea to make.'

'I have to say,' Castle commented as Daniel did a little turn on the pedestal for the tailor to make more adjustments, 'you guys have done an amazing job putting together this wedding so quickly. How many guests are there in total?'

'Including us, there is forty. Forty-two if you count Leo and Trini.'

'That seems like a pretty small group,' Esposito commented and Daniel shook his head.

'We'd rather have a small, intimate wedding that's more on the fancy side than some monstrous affair where we don't even know half the people on the list.' He hopped down off the pedestal and began to tick off his fingers. 'There's the Castles plus Shane and Alexis, the Espositos, the George-Espositos, the Ryans, the Parrish-Robbinses, the Mazzaras, my father and a guest, my brother and his family, my best friend Jason and a guest, Andrea's friend Whitney and a guest, our boss Doctor Harvey and his wife, and Andrea's friends Haiko and Ando from Tokyo are flying in as well. We're meeting with Father Telmo next week as well, thanks for that recommendation, Javier.'

'He's a good man. Just don't get him started on the Knicks. All that turn the other cheek thing doesn't apply to basketball in his mind.' As the groom had vacated the pedestal, Esposito hopped up for his turn as Daniel went to change. 'What about the honey-moon? You guys still set on going to Greece?'

'Yep, we're flying into Athens and spending two weeks at the Ledra Marriott, and as a surprise to her, because I know she's bummed about no diving, I booked it through the hotel this adventure day called 'Sunken Treasure',' Daniel explained as he put his own clothes back on, his wedding tux back on its hanger. He grinned at his discovery of this scuba-diving alternative as he stepped back out. 'We spend the morning doing a tour of some of the smaller Greek islands in a glass bottom boat, and the afternoon we're snorkeling off one of the islands, and part of the adventure is that you get to follow the clues to find a little treasure chest which has a Greek amber pendant inside.'

'She'll love that.' Castle grinned as he stood up. 'What girl doesn't dream of being a mermaid and finding a bit of sunken treasure jewelery?'

'Shoo-lee mean love,' RJ added, using the wisdom he'd acquired from Carey and Tessi and Violet. 'Love Annie?'

'Yes, I love Andrea very much.' Daniel ruffled RJ's hair, which had the boy squawking and flattening it with his little palms.

'No mess, Daniel!'

'Okay, okay, sorry!' He held up his hands in defeat. 'I give.'

'What baby hair?'

'We don't know yet, it's still too little, it's still growing arms and legs.'

'See pisher?'

Daniel grinned. 'Tell you what, the next time we have a visit, I'll be sure to have the most up-to-date photo of the baby possible.'

'Tizzy see bibs.'

'Yeah, Tessi got to see the pictures of her babies when Auntie Merry was growing them inside her body.' Esposito winked at the boy. 'How is Andrea feeling?'

'Morning sickness is kicking in, though not too badly. I think...I think she's actually happy about it though, so she can actually feel like she's pregnant, you know?' Daniel tried to explain; his words had both Castle and Esposito bobbing their heads in understanding.

'You guys found out really early, before she had the chance to go through all those symptoms and make the discovery,' Esposito reminded him. 'On top of which, you had a real jerk of a doctor mention it off hand like you already knew. That's a lot different feeling than seeing the expression on your girl's face as she tells you she's found out this amazing news. It sincerely sucks you guys were robbed of that.'

'How did you both find out?'

'Mere told me about Tessi at the precinct, and we were at home when we found out about the twins though we didn't know they were twins until Harvey did the sonogram for us. I nearly passed out when I heard two separate heartbeats,' he laughed. 'Now I wouldn't have it any other way.'

'Kate actually took a pregnancy test at the precinct, and she leaped on me in the break-room,' Castle added. 'And I know you're probably thinking you don't have something special like that, but dude, you made a baby with your fiancee the night she said she'd marry you. The only guy I know who scored better than that is Alex Burrows.'

'Who?' Daniel asked and Esposito blinked at him.

'Alex Burrows, from the Vancouver Canucks. Back in the ten-eleven season, Alex Burrows scored the game-winning overtime goal in game seven against the Chicago Blackhawks. Literally, the next day, his wife gave birth to their first baby together and he was in the delivery room helping her through the labour.'

'Yeah, that's definitely one up you'll have on us, you'll actually be of use to your wife in the delivery room beyond telling her to breathe,' Castle pointed out. 'I've never felt more useless to my wife as a man than watching her give birth to RJ.'

'I'm not going to be doing much more than that myself, guys,' Daniel chuckled, then looked down as RJ tugged on his hand. 'What's up, little man?'

'Annie bave, Daniel. She be fine.'

The simple, slightly garbled words from the toddler had his throat slamming shut and Daniel picked RJ up so that he could look him in the eye. 'You really like Andrea, huh?'

'She like Less.' RJ patted the top of his head. 'Pidy.'

'She is the most beautiful woman in the world.'

'No. Less bes'.' He wiggled a little in Daniel's arms. 'Nee' fish bum.'

'Okay, I'll take you, get you straightened out. Castle you got a diaper bag?'

'Yeah.' Castle passed him the black leather satchel and when they were gone to the men's room down the hall, he sighed at Esposito. 'Javier?'

'Yes, Richard.'

'We are throwing that man a man's baby shower.'

'Excuse me?' Esposito had heard of Castle doing some very strange things in the time they'd all worked together and become friends, but this one fairly did it. 'We're doing a what-now?'

'We're going to give Daniel his own daddy-to-be shower. He's so excited for this baby and he's really feeling depressed he did get that quintessential moment of discovery for him and Andrea.'

'So what are you thinking?'

'Hamptons. Guys' weekend for the Super-Bowl, it's early this year because of the shortened season with the referees' strike. You, me, Ryan, Shane, Dave, Gil, Cam and Daniel. We'll run some poker, give him a chance to be that anxious nervous new daddy without him having to worry he sounds like a sissy freaking out about his wife, you know? He needs people - men - who have been through it, and all of us with the exception of Shane and Gil have been through it more than once.'

Esposito knew Castle was right, something he didn't always like to admit on the job but man to man like this, he knew when to give in sooner rather than later. 'We can get him some stuff for taking care of himself while he's looking after Andrea so he doesn't feel left out.'

'Like what?'

'Man's day at the spa. He's a nurse, right, long hours on his feet and working with his hands? I know Cam goes for a massage to a physiotherapist every two weeks, he loves it. Gift cards for take-out so he doesn't have to cook and he can still get healthy eats. I liked those when Mere was pregnant with the twins.'

'We could also give him a guy's night out, remember how we did with Meredeth and her buddy-system? Once a week, someone makes plans with him to make sure he knows he's got people too, that it's about the two of them together.'

'Which reminds me, are you sure about that whole wedding surprise thing?' Esposito asked in concern. 'What if it backfires?'

'It won't. Remember what Daniel said before Christmas?'

'Oh yeah. I forgot that part.'

Castle pursed his lips and nodded, then cleared his throat when Daniel came back with RJ; the boy was gripping two of Daniel's fingers tightly.

'All fish, Daddy!' he announced, adding hopefully, ' 'Tay munchy?'

'Actually, Andrea and Daniel are coming to my house for dinner tonight. They asked Auntie Merry to make their wedding cake for them,' Esposito told him gently, 'and they're coming to

RJ's little face darkened into a pout. 'You sees bibs.'

'Bibs?'

'The twins,' Esposito explained. 'He loves spending time with them, I think so he doesn't feel like the youngest.'

'Say 'Hi Tee-nee?'

Daniel chuckled. 'Yes, I'll say hi to Trini.'

'I think we've got another situation like Tessi and Dell on our hands,' Castle murmured, plucking his son out of the nurse's arms, which had Esposito rolling his eyes.

'Why me? Why are my daughters the boy magnets?'

'Maybe you shouldn't have picked such a hot wife to make babies with.'

'Maybe Andrea and I will get lucky, have a daughter,' Daniel offered helpfully to the detective, 'and she'll catch his fancy.'

* * *

><p>R&amp;R&amp;Enjoy<p> 


	18. The Night Shift: 8 Weeks

Two days later, the night before they were due to meet with the priest for the wedding, Andrea was awoken out of a dead sleep at two in the morning; with a bleary sigh, she answered her cell.

'This is Andrea.'

'Hey, it's Jenny. I know you're not on call but I need you and Daniel both here on the double. There was a fire in an apartment building and we have at least fifteen cases of children with smoke inhalation.'

'Okay.'

She hung up, then rolled over to poke Daniel. 'Honey, we gotta go.'

'No, wernaoncle.' It came out as one sentence and Andrea gave him a quick tap on his broad, impressive chest.

'It's an emergency, all hands on deck situation. Fire in an apartment building, at least fifteen cases of peds trauma.'

'Alright.'

They dressed and Andrea made sure to put in her bag a bottle of orange-juice rich with calcium, a whole wheat bagel and some mixed fruit. She wouldn't have much time to eat, but she would eat healthy when did. Once at the hospital, they were both in their scrubs and in the pediatric unit taking their marching orders from Honey-Milk who was on nights.

'Andrea, you and Whitney are in the ER with the trauma unit, Daniel you'll go with them in the event there are surgicay cases. The rest of you will report to me and to Nurse Campbell in the PICU, be prepared to deal with anxious parents or children without parents. Let's move.'

Andrea headed down to the ER to find the doctor in charge, an Australian named Emmaline Rove who ran the trauma unit with speed and efficiency. 'Doctor Rove, Andrea Hennessey, I'm the pediatric triage expert.'

'Excellent. Take Exam Room Four, report back when you have an initial workup.'

'You got it.'

Looping her stethoscope around her neck, Andrea headed for Exam Room Four where she took the field report from the paramedics; fortune was smiling a little bit on her when she saw it was none other than Dave Robbins speaking to the patient, a young Korean girl in Hanna Montana pjs with a stuffed toy under her arm. She gave him a friendly nod while he gave the bullet.

'Penny Kirs, age eleven, was in the apartment right above the laundry room where the fire initiated. Breath sounds are hazy, but no signs of neurological or cardio defect in the field. Blood pressure one-twelve over sixty-two, pulse-ox is eighty-nine. Parents are already in the ER being treated for heat exposure and smoke inhalation.'

'Okay. Hi Penny,' Andrea greeted the young girl, holding up her pen light to check for signs of concussion. 'My name's Andrea. Can you follow my finger?'

She made her index finger draw a pattern of a five-point star in front of the girl's face and when she did so, Andrea made notes on her chart. 'Good, now stick out your tongue for me. That's the way,' she encouraged her when Penny complied, then picked up the head of her stethoscope. 'This might feel cold, but I need to listen to your lungs. Can you take a big deep breath in through the nose for me? Like you're jumping in the swimming pool?'

'Can't. Hurts,' Penny rasped.

'I know, sweetheart, I know it hurts, but I know you can be a big brave girl for me and take three big breaths so I can tell the doctors what kind of medicine to give you.'

Penny groaned a little but did her best when Andrea gave her a countdown, and she listened with the intensity of a cat waiting for the scurrying of mice. 'Good, Penny, good, and one more?'

'No, it hurts.' When the girl began to cry, Andrea took her face in her hands.

'Hey, it's okay to cry and be scared, it is very scary what happened to you. But I also know that even though you're very scared, you're very smart and you know that the doctors and nurses wouldn't ask you to do something if they didn't think you could do it, right?'

'Uh-huh.' Tears coursed down Penny's smoke-smudge cheeks. 'Mama says being brave means doing things we're sometimes scared to do, like talking in front of people.'

'Exactly. I know you're scared that it'll hurt more, but just trust me. I will make sure we find out why it hurts, okay?'

Penny nodded, and gripping Andrea's fingers, she sucked in as big a breath as she could handle and this time Andrea nodded briskly. 'Okay, Penny. I'm going to talk to the doctor, her name is Doctor Rove and she is going to make sure we get you taken care of.'

Andrea left, making notes on the chart as she went, and found Rove treating a Korean woman in flannel pyjamas with a bronchoscopy. 'Doctor is that Missus Kirs?'

'Yes, why do you ask?'

'Her daughter is in Exam Room Four, and she needs an oxygen line to treat for smoke inhalation as well as a possible blood gas to test for carbon monoxide poisoning.'

'What's her blood pressure?'

'One-twelve over sixty two and pulse-ox was eighty-nine in the field.'

'Order the oh-two line, with blood-gas follow-up. Sign off your work on the chart, put it at the trauma desk and call up to the pharmacy for the line. Good work Hennessey.'

'Doctor Rove.' Daniel stuck his head in the door. 'We have an incoming trauma, thirty-year-old male with second and third degree burns. He's one of the fire-fighters.'

'Thank you, Nurse Brick. You know how to run blood-gas?' Rove asked, turning back to Andrea.

'Yes ma'am.'

'Go with Missus Kirs' daughter up to the PICU, run the tests, let me know the results right away.'

Andrea nodded, shoved out of the room just in time to see an orderly going into Penny's room. She followed him in, giving her instructions in a crisp, clear voice and a few minutes later was on her way up to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit to administer the tests for the girl. The tests were quickly done, all while Penny had an oxygen mask over her face, which only seemed to magnify the fear in her soft almond eyes.

'Where is my mommy?' she asked, her words echoing behind the plastic of the mask.

'Doctor Rove, the same doctor who told me what medicine to get for you, is looking after your mommy right now.'

'Where is Humphrey?'

'Who?'

'My camel.'

'Oh.' Andrea looked around, and saw the girl's toy was resting by her knee, out of her reach and eye-sight. She picked up the plush toy, handed him over. 'He's a camel.'

'He's my little cuddle buddy. Is my mommy going to be okay?'

'Doctor Rove will do everything she can for your mommy.'

'Okay.' Satisfied with this answer for now Penny rolled to her side, mindful of the mask's tubing. 'Will you stay with me?'

'I'll do my best, there are other children who need me to help them, too.'

'Uh-huh,' Penny said sleepily, and Andrea watched as the girl's sedative took over so that her muscles would relax and the oxygen could do its thing. 'See...you...soo...'

The girl was out like a lamp in under two minutes, leaving Andrea free to head back down to the ER, after a quick detour to the ladies' room when she thought the morning sickness would get the better of her. When she arrived back, she took another chart, gave the same work-up to another child, this one an eight-year-old boy who needed intubation so his throat could be cleared of debris, and then another case, and another until she was able to finish up with Honey-Milk on their last patient and they went to see Rove for further instructions on who was needed where. When she dismissed them as the majority of the patients were able to be treated as out-patients and released on their own recognizance, Andrea went back upstairs to the PICU where Penny Kirs was still under sedation and the PICU nurse was updating her chart.

'Thanks Mike, I've got it from here,' she told him, and he gave her the bullet.

'She's sleeping well and responding to the oxygen really well. Her sedative should wear off in about ninety mintues or so.' Mike looked at Andrea, squinted. 'You okay yourself, Nurse Hennessey? You look like you wanna pass out.'

'Do I?'

'Yeah, you're all pale and-'

Andrea didn't hear the rest of what he said, as the next thing she knew she was lying on the empty bed beside Penny Kirs and Mike was shining his pen-light in her eyes. 'Go away,' she muttered, batting at his hand. 'I'm fine.'

'Andrea, you fainted. I'll call Honey-Milk, get her to send you home.'

'I don't need to go home, I'm fine.'

'Healthy women don't just pass out. You're lucky I was standing there and caught you before you hit the floor.'

'I'm fine, Mike, it's just one of the many symptoms of being pregnant.'

At this, Mike's eyes popped. 'You're knocked up? You and Daniel are having a baby?'

'In August.'

'Oh, congrats girl. Just stay here a moment. I'll page Daniel.'

Andrea shook her head. 'He's in surgery with one of the firefighters.'

'I'll page Daniel,' Mike repeated. 'You stay there, keep an eye on Penny.'

Since she appeared to have little choice in the matter, Andrea picked up one of the charts she'd brought in to catch up on and began to go over it. She'd just finished going through the fourth of nine when Mike reappeared with Daniel, who marched into the room and crouched in front of her.

'Andrea, are you okay?' he asked, holding her face in his hands and searching her eyes.

'Yes, I'm fine, Mike didn't need to call you out of surgery.'

'I was done anyways. You need something to eat.'

'I can't leave Penny, her mother's still in with Rove.' Andrea pointed to her young charge.

'Right. Vanilla shake and a chicken wrap it is, with fro-yo for dessert.'

'Daniel-'

He kissed her forehead. 'Andrea, I know you still expect yourself to be Superwoman at work, but you really need to pay attention to your body's needs now that you're having a baby.'

'Okay.' Andrea knew he was right, but more than that, the light of baby-daddy-worry in his eyes had her relenting. The last thing she wanted to do after the hell they'd endured at the beginning of December was make her fiance fret anymore than necessary. 'Can we make it a strawberry shake and tangerine-mango fro-yo?'

'Absolutely.'

'Thank you. Hey,' she added when he turned to go, 'I love you.'

'Love you too.'

He left, and because she was alone but for her sleeping patient, Andrea rubbed a hand over her belly. 'Hey in there,' she murmured, 'that big blonde guy? That's your daddy and he's worried you're making me feel not so hot, so how about we stop this throwing up and fainting nonsense, okay?'

* * *

><p>R&amp;R&amp;Enjoy!<p> 


	19. Meet the Priest

'Andrea, are you sure you want to do this today? We had a busy shift, you should be at home resting.'

'I promise the minute we're done here, I'm going straight to bed.' Andrea picked up their joined hands, gave him a kiss. 'Wanna join me?'

'Sweetie, we're in a church,' Daniel replied on a blush. Not much about sex made him squirm, but he'd been raised a good Irish-Catholic boy and the idea of mixing sex-and-church was as ingrained in him as the need for beer on Saint Patty's.

'Technically, we're in a churchyard,' she pointed out as they walked towards the entrance of the youth centre.

Daniel only rolled his eyes; she was such a contrary thing some days. They were directed by the receptionist towards the indoor basketball courts and were surprised to see not a stuffy old man like they thought, but an athletically stocky man with long arms and pewter hair running drills with about ten boys ranging from nine to thirteen years in age. As they approached, the smell of young sweat and gym shoes was more prevalent, but even more surprising was the way in which Father Paolo Telmo spoke.

'You raise an interesting point, Juan. Why does Jacob favour this one son above the others? Is Jacob aware of a grander plan for Joseph and builds him up to make him appreciate what he will be asked to do later for the Pharaoh, or is simply a man who commits the sin of pride?'

'But does taking pride in something he does well mean it's a sin or is it just being thankful and acknowledging God's gift to him?' one of the boys replied.

'Also a very good point, Emilio.' The priest, in his Knicks t-shirt and black sweatpants, glanced up to see Andrea and Daniel had arrived and nodded at the boys. 'That's what we talk about next week. At what point does confidence become pride and humility become denial? Hit the showers boys, good work today. James, remember next week you're in charge of equipment.'

The young men scattered towards the locker room door and Father Paolo went to the bench, picked up a towel to mop his face. He offered Daniel and Andrea an apologetic smile. 'My b-ball team decided to get into a theological debate during practice and we lost track of time. I'm Father Paolo Telmo.'

'Daniel Brick, this is my fiancee Andrea Hennessey.'

Hands were shaken all around and they headed for the coach's office where various religious portraits and hangings were interspersed with posters for the Knicks. Esposito, it seemed, hadn't been kidding when he'd told Daniel the priest's love of serving God was matched only by the infamous New York hoops-squad.

'So,' Father Paolo began, 'Javier Esposito told me a little of your situation, you are getting married on the twenty-first of February so you can be married and enjoy a honey-moon before the arrival of your baby?'

'Yes sir,' Andrea said with a little bit of colour in her cheeks.

'I hope the baby isn't the only reason you're getting married.'

'No.' Daniel shook his head emphatically. 'I...the night I asked Andrea to marry me, we were celebrating as it were and that's how we conceived. I'd already selected the ring almost two months before, had it stashed at home for nearly a month before I asked her.'

'We wouldn't even have known until maybe now, except that we were involved in a murder investigation and I got knocked around a little bit, and when they took me to the hospital, they discovered I was about three weeks pregnant,' Andrea added.

'How long have you been together?'

'Just over a year. It was one year on November nineteenth, the same night Daniel proposed and that we made our baby.'

Father Paolo smiled. 'The reason I ask is that I do not like to marry couples who feel obligated to be getting married simply for the sake of a child.'

'That's not what we want,' Daniel assured the priest. 'We'd be getting married, baby or none. The only thing that has changed is the date from October to February.'

'Tell me a little of how you met.'

Andrea looked at Daniel. 'We've worked together for about six years or so, after I moved back to New York. We were assigned to the same trauma team before being hand-picked by Doctor James Harvey to be part of his medical team for delivering babies. My specialty for nursing is trauma and emergency medicine, and Daniel's a nurse anesthetist.'

'We started spending time together on the job, on breaks, going to group parties and stuff like that, but our first date was when we made plan to have Thanksgiving dinner together,' he continued, 'and it was the best decision I ever made because I've never been happier in my life than being with Andrea.'

Father Paolo nodded, smiled as he made notes. 'What did you think the first time you met her?'

'She was beautiful and quietly confident. We work in an environment with a lot of over-the-top loudmouths and

How many are in your wedding party?'

'It's very small, it's the two of us, Daniel's brother, Meredeth and Javier Esposito and another friend of ours, Kate Beckett. We're still undecided if we want a ring bearer and flower girl.'

'And are you planning for a church service or other location?'

'We've decided on the Tesla Botanical Gardens near Central Park, which are attached to the Tesla Concorde Hotel. They have a lovely tropical lagoon there with a coi pond and natural rock water fountain, perfect for saying our vows.'

'What about your family, will they be participating in the wedding?' Father Paolo asked, noting the shift in demeanour.

'The only family that will be there is Daniel's father, brother, nephew and sister-in-law. None of my blood relations are welcome,' Andrea said in a softly authoritative voice.

'Oh?'

'My father died when I was twenty-one, and my sisters are both in prison, and due to certain extenuating circumstances, my mother will not be making the trip up from the Caribbean.'

'I see.' Knowing it wasn't his place to pry Father Paolo made notes. 'So you are very much someone who has found their way into family rather than being born into it.'

'I guess you might say that. The people from the Twelfth precinct, like Javier and Kevin and Kate, they've said we've been adopted and they are making sure we don't feel left out of things. It feels so juvenile to think of it that way.'

'They are good people.' Daniel looked at her, taking her hand. 'You haven't known a lot of that in your life, Andrea, but there are people like your father and me who love you unconditionally, which is why you don't shove them away. All of those people are like that too.'

Father Paolo watched them without saying a word, just watching the love and reassurance from them both as Andrea nodded, her face miraculously composed. He'd counseled all kinds of couples, met with more engaged ones than he could count, but never had he seen a pair so truly committed to each other with the exception of Meredeth and Esposito. He made more notes about the theme he would use in the ceremony, then looked up at them once more.

'Who is going to give you away, or will you be walking yourself down the aisle?'

'Kevin Ryan, Javier's partner. He, ah...stood up for me and my baby in truly unique way' Andrea relented and told Father Paolo the story of the murder investigation, and it was a testament to his years of training as a priest how he simply raised an eyebrow at the sordid tale. 'Since losing my dad, I've never had anyone other than myself to stand up for me against my family. The first time anyone did was when Daniel told them to pound salt the first time we went to Cora's house for Christmas dinner.'

'A most fitting honour for him, then.'

'I think so,' Daniel concurred. 'We thought about it being my father but my pops was a little weirded out by the idea that he was presenting me with my wife like she was a new Transformers toy or something.'

'Well, I think I have enough here to begin preparing a speech. I would like to meet with you prior to the rehearsal dinner, let's say...' Father Paolo looked at his desk-top calendar. 'The fourth of February? We can finalize things then.'

'Thank you, that sounds great.'

* * *

><p>The moment they were home, Andrea kicked off her winter boots, began to leave a trail of her clothes from the front door so that by the time she reached the bedroom, she was down to her bra and panties and was turning back the covers. She was just punching down the pillows when Daniel followed her in, trying to hold in the laugh.<p>

'I promised I'd be in bed when we got home,' she said with simple conviction.

'Yeah, I'm just wondering why you want to be there alone?'

'Never said I did.' Andrea lifted the sheets, smiled in an inviting way. 'Hop in, big boy.'

Daniel pulled his sweater over his head, and was reaching for his belt buckle when he heard a light buzzing noise; glancing up he only chuckled. His bride and baby-mama, the love of his life and the sexiest woman in the world to him, was fast asleep already. He still continued to strip down to his underwear and crawled in beside her, wrapping his thick arms around her body.

'Andrea, I love you,' he whispered in a sing-song.

'Love you too. I'll sex you up in five minutes, baby,' she mumbled back. 'Just gimme five minutes.'

She was out for nearly an hour, during which time she had turned on her side so her hands were curled into protective little fists between their chests. When she resurfaced, Andrea was alone but where her fiance had gone was answered by following her nose. Finding the silky kimono he'd given her for Christmas she went into the kitchen and saw he was indeed making one of her favourite meals to enjoy after a long day at work - tomato soup and grilled cheese. For a moment, Andrea let herself just watch him, the beautiful lines of his body, the slightly crooked smile, the way the right side of his nose wrinkled more than the left when he was concentrating.

'Smells good in here,' she said softly, which had Daniel looking up.

'Hey, I was gonna bring you dinner in bed.'

'Does that mean we'd have sex on the kitchen table?'

He saw the considering look in her eye and laughed. 'My brother called while you were asleep.'

'Oh?'

'Yeah, he's going to make it for the dinner for the wedding party. Seven-thirty on Friday night. And now, we eat.'

Daniel took the pot of soup off the stove, and when he turned around, he nearly ran into Andrea on his way to get plates. She'd sneaked up behind him and was now wrapping her arms around his waist. 'I love you Daniel.'

'Love you too, Andrea.'

* * *

><p>R&amp;R&amp;Enjoy<p> 


	20. The Babysitters

It wasn't often that Andrea was thrown for a loop - between her family, her job and the fact she scuba-dived, she liked to think of herself as a well prepared individual for nearly any kind of situation, but to have Kate Beckett-Castle call her up and ask her to watch her son while she and her husband enjoyed a night out was new territory. She knew it was to give her and Daniel the chance to have a taste of life with a toddler as much as it was to have someone they trusted looking after their son, but even still, it made Andrea more than a little nervous.

Daniel, of course, could pick those nerves out at a hundred paces blindfolded. 'Sweetheart, she wouldn't have asked you if-'

'I know, I know,' Andrea sighed in the elevator up to the SoHo loft. 'It's just...I'm not the girl most people go to for a baby-sitter. Then again, most of my life is taken up by work so friends outside the hospital is a new thing once more.'

'What about when you lived in Japan?' Daniel asked her.

'Same thing. Ten hours was a short work day. There'd be times when I'd actually catch a nap in one of the prop beds on set because there was no point in going home only to come back four hours later.'

'Well, times have changed, my love.'

They stepped off the elevator, pressed the door bell. On the other side, they heard the pattering of little feet and a young voice coupled with Beckett's mature one. When the door opened, they saw it was indeed the lady of the manor and her young boy. Beckett was dressed in a fancy blouse and pants combo and her hair was pulled off her face in an elegant twist of some kind.

'Hi Annie! Hi Daniel!' RJ waved brightly as he held his mother's hand. 'How baby?'

'Baby's doing just fine, sweetie.'

'Bigga now?'

'Yes the baby's bigger now.' Daniel nodded as he took off his coat and boots. 'Remember my promise?'

'Show pisha?'

'Yes sir.'

Beckett could only shake her head - her little boy was following in Dell's foot-steps in his fascination with pregnant bellies. He'd been too young to really appreciate Meredeth's, but he'd followed Dell and Tessi around like a shadow and had picked up things from them in their little toddler secret society; of this she was certain. 'Come on in, I'll give you the lay of the land. You've been here before so you have an idea of where most everything is. Emergency numbers are on the sheet on the fridge and our cellphones are speed-dial two and three on the house line.'

'What about bedtime and things like that?'

'RJ is in his pyjamas by seven and story time is seven-thirty. He still gets wakeful a little bit around midnight but we should be home no later than that. Rick!' She hollered up the stairs. 'Andrea and Daniel are here! Let's go!'

'So where are you going tonight?'

'Martha's play. One of the items at the charity auction was an evening with Richard Castle and his muse aka me. Then it's a light, late bite afterward and home we go, because I have to be in court for Ryan and Esposito's moral support tomorrow morning at nine sharp.'

'Mumum dash baddies,' RJ said proudly with a smile. 'She bes'.'

'You're the best too, little man.'

'Less bes' too.'

'Of course, can't forget about her, can we,' Beckett laughed.

'She me-wee Shin.'

'And she's going to marry Shane.'

'Affa school,' RJ said firmly. 'Be docka firs'.'

Andrea giggled. The little boy was a charmer for sure, which she was certain was genetic because she had met Richard Castle on more than one occasion and there was no one else she'd met that practically oozed smooth. 'That's a good plan.'

'Hey mama, big daddy!' Castle greeted them warmly as he jogged down the stairs and Andrea's pregnancy hormones did a little dance under her skin when she saw him in a pressed red shirt beneath his suit jacket. It showed off that while he wasn't the body-builder her fiancee was, there was much to be admired about Richard Castle's physique.

Daniel caught the drooly look in her eyes too, and rather than being jealous about it, just sent up a quick thank you; he knew that look, and knew it meant he would be getting laid later that night. 'Hey Richard, looking sharp.'

'How's everything with you?'

'Baby bigga,' RJ answered for them, and gave Andrea's belly a little rub. ' 'Till tiny. When here?'

'August, buddy.' Daniel gave him a reassuring wink. 'Not until the summer time.'

'Oh. We wash toons?'

'OKay, but we should probably wait until your mama and daddy are gone.'

Without missing a beat, RJ turned to his parents and waved. 'Bubub Mumum, bubub Daddy. See soon.'

'I love you too, my one and only son,' Beckett giggled, bending down to give him a hug. 'Thank goodness the manners on my other child are a little better.'

'Moosh bubub?' RJ puckered up his lips and got a smacking kiss on the lips from his mother. 'Feed birdies, Daddy.'

They exchanged their secret handshake, and when Beckett and Castle were out the door RJ turned to his friends for the night with an angelic grin. 'Now wash toons?'

* * *

><p>'Annie?'<p>

'Yes RJ.'

'EVE no' like WALL-E?' RJ looked up at Andrea from his spot on her lap while they watched the epic robot cartoon. 'WALL-E nice.'

Daniel dipped into the bowl for more popcorn. 'Because sometimes girls don't always like to admit they like a boy or even know they like a boy.'

'Tee-nee like.'

'Oh-oh.' Andrea clapped her hand to her mouth. 'Do I detect another Twelfth precinct junior romance in the air?'

'Who else is there?' Daniel asked.

'A young mister Ryan and little miss Esposito, right RJ?'

RJ nodded, bouncing Omeo on his lap. 'Dell love Dizzy. He me-wee Dizzy.'

'You think Dell's gonna marry Tessi?'

'Uh-huh. He say.'

'Ah, well, when a man's made up his mind about his bride, it takes the hand of God to change it,' Daniel agreed. He'd heard stories from Honey-Milk about Dell's fixation on the little girl, even when she'd been a bump under Meredeth's sweater. 'But in the mean time, my little bro, it's story time.'

'Wan' wash WALL-E. Peas?'

'Sorry, if I break the rule, I have to tell your mama and then I'll get in trouble.'

RJ's eyes went round. 'No tubba. I be good.'

The boy slithered off Andrea's lap to his feet and tugged on Daniel's hand, and the two men went upstairs to the nursery where RJ held up his arms like a scarecrow and sweetly thanked Daniel as he was tucked in with his beloved Omeo. 'RJ, I gotta ask, my main man, why do you call your bunny Omeo?'

'Look like omeo.'

'But what's omeo?'

'Tookies. Omeo tookies.'

'Oh, I see. He's the same colour as oatmeal cookies?' Daniel laughed, gave a little 'whatever' shrug. 'He certainly does.'

'Book? Soos?'

'You want a Seuss story?'

'Uh-huh. Omaeo love Soos.'

Daniel found a copy of 'One Fish Two Red Fish Blue Fish' in the boy's abundant baby-book shelf - what else would there be when the boy's father was an international best-selling author? - and settled himself into the cushy, wide arm-chair. He'd just finished the book and looked over to see RJ's breathing heavily, Omeo in a headlock in the crook of his elbow. Moving silent as a ghost, Daniel adjusted the boy's blankets and gave his forehead a little kiss. 'Sleep tight, big guy.'

He closed the door gently behind him, headed downstairs to see Andrea had tidied up the movie snacks and was pouring something dark red into a wine glass. 'Are you trying to get the baby drunk?' he asked.

'This is cranberry juice for me, red wine for you.'

'Ah, just like teenage baby-sitting. Once the kids are asleep, we get drunk and make out on the couch.'

'Something like that,' Daniel chuckled, picking up the wine-glass and winced. 'Oh, no, that's the cranberry juice.'

'I poured mine first, you goon,' she giggled, nipping her glass out of his hand and settling herself onto the sofa in front of the fireplace with her own wine-looking drink. 'So, we're getting married in a month and I'm already nine weeks pregnant. You nervous about this? Being a daddy and a hubby all in one year?'

'Daddy of course, but hubby...not so much.'

'Yeah?'

'I'm more nervous about the wedding than being married. I know you and I will rock the husband-and-wife thing but I don't want to sneeze in the middle of my vows, or mess them up, or step on your dress during our first dance, you know? I don't wanna look like an idiot in front of our family.'

'Well that's a first,' Andrea commented, draining her glass.

'What?'

'Calling them our family.'

'I think it's like one of those things where you say it often enough, you start to believe it, even if you're still uncertain.' She set her glass down, turned to look at him. 'We still have so much to do for the wedding though.'

'What's left?'

'Just finalizing details. Pick up the rings, get the dresses, give the caterer a final count, pack for the honey-moon, pick up our tickets for the flight to Athens, and that's not even looking at my wedding planning binder.'

'All easily done,' Daniel reassured her, giving her a kiss, then lingering on her lips. 'Mm, honey, you mind wiping your mouth off?'

'What? Why?'

'The cranberry juice, it's just...yecch.'

Andrea gave him a weird look. 'I have to wipe cranberry juice off my mouth, but you kissing me after oral sex is okay?'

'Apple and oranges. Or apples and cranberries if you like.' Daniel made a pout face. 'Please?'

'I'm having your child, isn't that enough?' But she complied, as the hormones he'd stirred were skipping along at a very happy pace in her veins. 'Anything else you want me to do? Maybe open my shirt so you can play with my boobs? Hand feed you peeled grapes?'

'How about that first one?'

Daniel tugged on the front of her blouse so their mouths met and just when he was pulling her close, Andrea slapped a hand to his chest. 'Oh no. Damn I've been able to avoid it all day!'

She popped off the couch and raced for the bathroom, leaving Daniel in the living room with his wine. 'Bet that cranberry juice doesn't taste so hot now, does it?' he murmured smugly.

* * *

><p>R&amp;R&amp;Enjoy!<p> 


	21. So Sweet

When they arrived home after sitting for RJ earlier than anticipated, Daniel could tell his babe was going to bed but most definitely not to sleep. After spending the night teasing each other on the couch while minding RJ, and after Andrea was certain she'd finished with her morning sickness for the day, he was more than a little ready to get his bride-to-be naked.

He went into the bedroom to find Andrea in the pearl-grey lingerie she'd gotten at Christmas. She was sitting with her back against the head board, her long legs out in front of her.

'Hello, sailor,' she purred at him, and because she was feeling particularly saucy tonight, uncrossed her legs a la Sharon Stone in _Basic Instinct_ to let him see she'd left off the matching panties.

'You are feisty, my sweet,' he purred back, stripping out of his clothes so that when they were lost in each other, there would be no stopping for something as pedestrian as getting naked. 'You look so hot, like...fiery mists on a rolling green hill in County Claire.'

'Mercy me.'

Andrea moved so she was kneeling in the middle of the bed, wrapping her arms around him. The breadth of his shoulders never failed to make her feel like a soft, delicate vine wrapping herself around a sturdy marble pillar and she indulged herself tonight by tracing her fingertips there.

Daniel groaned at her butterfly touch. It was that touch he'd fallen for - they'd been working in a sex-related and genital injury sensitivity seminar and he'd had to play the patient who had been camping and received a snake-bite to the junk, and Andrea was demonstrating to the new nurses in the triage unit appropriate techniques for handling the patient without embarrassing him. He'd been the one to end up hot under the collar at the feeling Andrea's hands on his body, and had had more than one sweaty dream about her really touching him, like she was now.

Her lips were sweet, soft beneath his and Daniel nudged them open with his tongue to find hers; he moaned into her mouth as his hands fumbled on her back to find a clasp so he could free those beautiful breasts into his hands. He made a little noise of confusion in his throat and pulled away from her only a moment.

'Isn't there a hook on the back of this thing?'

'Nope.' Andrea nipped at his lower lip. 'You gotta peel it off...very...slowly.'

'Oh, baby,' was all he could manage. Daniel fastened his mouth to hers once again, then let it roam over her jaw, the curve of her neck as his solid, sturdy hands slipped the soft pearl-grey straps down her delicately strong shoulders. With one finger, he traced a design over the swells of her breasts, heard her suck in a breath. The wispy fabric slipped further down her body as Daniel tugged at it to reveal those curves in all their natural glory. 'Here, lie back, baby,' he murmured, carefully laying her back in the bed.

Andrea looked up at him, let her eyes wander over him; he had amazing shoulders and was solid as granite in the torso, down to his hips, down to where her eyes widened in appreciation for him. As she'd once said to Honey-Milk, that name Brick suited him _all_ over. He was like a golden-Irish god and the look on his face, that look he saved only for her, overwhelmed her. As quickly as she felt the lust body-slam her system, the tears sprang into her eyes and she gave a little sniffle.

'Andrea?' It didn't go unnoticed by Daniel that his fiancee's eyes had filled up and were threatening to spill over. 'Baby, what's wrong, are you in pain?'

'No, not all, just my stupid hormones, I'm okay, really.'

He pressed his body gently into hers rubbed his thumb over her cheek when little droplets coursed out of the corners of her eyes. 'Andrea Darcy Hermione, my love, you are so strong, and so brave.'

'I love you so much, Daniel. I...you're the best thing that's ever happened to me.'

'You are too, this-' he picked up her hand with her ring on it '-and this-' he pressed their joined hands over the lower part of her belly '-these are the miracles of my life.'

With careful fingers, he bunched up her negligee, pulled it over her head so she was naked with him, and because he knew what she needed right now, he whispered in her ear naughty little compliments that had her breath catching in her chest. When his hand drifted up to cover one of those gorgeous, juicy breasts of hers that were one-hundred percent God-given, Daniel groaned in frustrated pleasure at the feel of her rock-hard nipple under his fingertips. 'That is so sexy, Andrea.'

'Yeah? Even better than this?'

She thrust her hips upward against his, let herself glide against him and Andrea felt the power only a woman seducing her lover could feel when she saw his eyes glaze over. The sensation of him, hot and hard against her body made her catch her lip in her teeth. Then she was crying out his name as he scraped his thumbs over the heated points of her breasts and lowered his mouth to the softly-scented valley between them.

'Daniel!'

Spurred on by the sound of his name on her lips, moaned with such passion, Daniel gently kissed the undercurve of once breast before moving to its centre where he nipped and suckled and teased his fiancee. She did have the most amazing breasts and he'd felt like a god the first time he'd gotten to touch them and taste them. Her thighs squeezed against his hips in reflex as she moved lightly against him.

'Daniel, baby, inside me, I want you inside me,' she sighed to him, the feel of his tongue on her nipple driving her mad for him.

'Whatever you want, my love.' But Daniel would take his time on her tonight, and gripping her hips, lifting her up ever so slightly he sank himself inside her slowly, listening to her moan as he filled her up. Her back arched off the bed and he streaked a hand from her chin down to her navel as he began to move inside her, making her gasp and tremble for him.

Andrea writhed beneath her fiance, making no effort to stay quiet as the tremors wracked her body so sweetly. He was moving slowly inside her tonight, making it last as long as he could for her.

'Daniel.' She put her palm to his face, keeping her eyes on his as they moved together. Then, the soft, sweetness of their lovemaking became frantic and desperate for each other, but not once did his eyes leave her face. 'Oh...oh, god...Daniel...oh!'

He watched the orgasm tumble through her as she called out to him, her hips moving fast and furiously against his as he drove her up. While most were self-conscious of their orgasm-face, Andrea just let herself feel everything her body was experiencing. The look of her, the way she shudder because of him and how he made her feel, had him speaking through gritted teeth.

'Say it, Andrea,' he demanded softly of her in her ear. 'I wanna hear you say it so badly, baby.'

She stiffened beneath him and choked out on a gasping breath, 'I'm coming, Daniel, I'm coming.'

'I'm with you, my love, right...there.'

He went blind for a moment as his body let go and he emptied himself inside her, then laid on top of her as he tried to right her world once more. Nestling against her, he breathed deeply while listening to her heart thundering under her ribs.

'I get it now,' he murmured dreamily. 'Javier was right.'

'Javi was right about what?' Andrea returned in just as dreamy a tone, her foot sliding over the back of Daniel's leg.

'I'm listening to your heart thundering away, and he said that when you get to be about five or six months pregnant, the baby will probably give you what for when we're having sex since I've got your heart-rate going.'

'You don't think I'll...no. No, I'm not going down that route. Obviously, you'll still find me attractive when I'm that big.'

Daniel grinned at her. 'Andrea my sweetheart, you are one smart lady, and I love you so much.'

'I love you too, Daniel.' But even as she smiled, she could feel the tears starting up again, and this time Andrea felt him wrap his arms around her; he rolled so they were lying side-by-side on the bed and his big hand was stroking over her hair.

'It's alright, sweetie, just let it out.'

Once her crying jag was done Andrea swiped at her eyes, gave a little laugh. 'Guess it's pretty handy that you're a nurse who deals with pregnant women on a regular basis, huh?'

'Just like you know how to handle little kids in a crisis, so if our little Seamus or Julianna takes a tumble you'll know what to do without overreacting like some parents might.'

'Seamus or Julianna?' she giggled. 'Are we picking names already?'

'Those were my grandparents names. Very Irish.'

'I'll say. I've always liked Sinead for a girl. Like the singer, you know? She kinda looks like a baby with her shaved head and those big doe-like eyes.'

'Well, then lets take a vote.' Daniel moved back just enough to put his hand on her belly. 'Hey in there, what do you think of being called Julianna Sinead Hennessey Brick? You'll think on it? Okay. That's all I ask.'

'You're ridiculously adorable, Nurse Brick,' Andrea laughed. 'And it makes me want to marry you even more.'

'Well, if you're free on the twenty-first around one-thirty, I think I've got a place in mind,' he teased back. 'What do you say?'

'I say it's a date. Mmf. I'm hungry again.'

'Again? Again, she says? What do you feel like?'

'Chicken club sandwich, extra lite mayo, with those spicy jalapeno chips on the side. Oh, and a Diet Coke.'

'No, no diet anything. Regular Coke if you want it, or nothing at all,' he told her firmly. 'I don't want our baby coming out so he'll glow in the dark.'

Andrea smiled, then popped up when she saw him starting to dress. 'What are you doing?'

'It's about eleven-thirty, Gennaro's is open until midnight. You stay here and rest, I'll get us a snack.'

'Aren't you so sweet.'

'I have my cell if I need you for anything, okay? Daniel leaned in, gave her a kiss. 'Love you.'

'Love you too.'

Andrea watched him go, heard the front door to the apartment lock and let out a snorting giggle. Reaching for her phone, she dialed Honey-Milk; her friend was on nights tonight since it was Friday and she didn't have to worry about getting her son up for school in the morning.

'Nurse Ryan.'

'Hey it's Andrea.'

'Hey, mama, how's it going?'

'This is too cute, I had to share. Daniel is going on his first midnight cravings run as a proud daddy to be.'

* * *

><p>R&amp;R&amp;Enjoy<p> 


	22. Boys' Sendoff A

There was just over ninety-minutes to go in the surgery, Daniel saw as he glanced at the clock, which had him turning back to his crossword puzzle. He was almost through his second one of the three-hours surgery; Andrea had gotten him the big book of Sunday-paper crosswords from the _Ledger_ and being the brave man he was he'd decided to do them all in ink.

'Eighty-five across. Twelve letters, talking down,' he said aloud.

'Condescending,' Doctor Walsh replied. 'Something a good doctor never does.'

Daniel counted the spaced as he filled in the letters and nodded. 'Agreed. Okay, so that means eight six down, mythology poet, begins with an O.'

'Ovid. He was one of the writers who helped amass the Greeks myths as we know them today. How is our patient doing?'

'Dandy-keen. His heart rate is holding steady, his pulse-ox and his IPC are all within the normal range.'

'Which means we will be out of here on time today, on a Friday no less.' Because it was Walsh, he made it sound about as exciting as being early for a colonoscopy. 'Daniel, any big plans for yourself this weekend?'

'It's my bachelor party weekend with some friends.'

At this news, the others in the room perked up, but Walsh was solemn as ever when he continued, 'So what's the plan? Steaks and fight night or some lovely naked dancing girls?'

'I have no idea. It's all Richard Castle's doing.'

'You know Richard Castle?' one of the surgical interns squeaked in delight. 'Is he really that charming and handsome in real life?'

'Donally, focus.'

'Sorry, Doctor Walsh.'

Daniel chuckled; he couldn't blame Donally for her excitement as he'd felt a little bit of the same fan-boy eagerness when he'd first met the man. Setting aside his crossword puzzles, he turned back to his own equipment and did another reading for the chart. 'Walsh what is our ETA on this cholecystectomy?'

'We have removed the gall-bladder, we have clamped off what needs clamping off and we are beginning to close. There are no complications and this patient is going to go on and live a very healthy, deep-fried free existence.'

Daniel wanted to say 'where's the fun in that' but he knew Walsh would not appreciate it. Instead he nodded and returned to his crossword puzzle so that by the time he was finished, it was time to bring the patient off of ventilation and reduce down his anesthetic so he would be waking within the hour in recovery. Daniel sighed, and went into the scrub room, peeling off his gloves as he went and setting his crossword puzzle-book aside with his pen began to wash up. He glanced up when he saw Donally come in and gave her a polite nod, even as she did the thing that all girls seemed to do around him at the hospital - tugging off her scrub cap, she shook out her hair and gave him an 'oops, there's someone here' smile.

'So, you're going to a bachelor party weekend? That sounds like fun.'

'It's _my_ bachelor party weekend, Donally,' he corrected, 'I'm getting married in two weeks.'

'Oh, my bad,' she laughed. 'I thought you were just going to one. Who's the lucky lady?'

'Andrea Hennessey, she's a peds nurse up on six.'

'Describe her to me?'

Daniel grinned. 'She's gorgeous, long dark red hair, grey eyes, juicy booty-body and she is just awesome.'

'You sound like you really love her.'

'She is the world to me. And speaking of,' he added when his cellphone rang and he picked it up to hear her on the other end. 'Hey, honey, what's going on?'

'Thought I'd give you a heads up, the men are ambushing you when you leave the hospital. Beyond that, I have no idea what they're doing to you. I love you and stay safe, okay?'

'Love you too, and don't go too crazy. You're pregnant, remember?'

'Kinda hard to forget,' Andrea laughed. 'Talk to you soon, sweetie.'

Daniel hung up, took his things to the locker room where he changed into his street clothes and rather than leaving by the clinic entrance he went to the visitors reception entrance, where sure enough he did indeed see Castle waiting for him outside while on his cellphone. He bid whoever it was goodbye and held out his arms to Daniel in welcome.

'There's the man himself. Two weeks to go, buddy, you nervous?'

'A little bit. Okay, a lot,' he self-corrected as Castle walked them towards the parking garage. 'What are you going to do to me?'

'Relax, we're not going to do any of that ridiculous humiliating shit other, less refined minds might do. This is all about you getting some love from the guys before you get hitched. And we're doing it in high-style all the way.'

Castle pointed across the garage and Daniel's eyes popped - there was a sleek and glossy black limousine, complete with a waiting, white-gloved driver. Castle grinned at him. 'Hey Maurice, we've got our special cargo, next stop...well you know where we're going, can't ruin the surprise for our boy here.'

'Too right, sir. We'll be underway shortly.'

'Where are we going? Do I need a suitcase?' Daniel asked as they climbed in.

'Nope, already packed for you. Just sit back, relax and enjoy the company.'

Daniel looked around as he sat down and saw that Esposito, Ryan and his own brother Sean were already in the limo, all of them with fat, round Cubans waiting to be lit and a bottle of good scotch waiting to be cracked open. 'What's all this?' he laughed.

'This, little brother, is your send off into married life,' Sean replied with a grin. 'I don't expect you to remember mine, as you were piss-face drunk the entire time and trying to convince the strippers to give you a free lapdance as a graduation gift from college.'

'I was also twenty-two and still thought the world of original story-telling in movies began with Quentin Tarantino. I've grown up in eleven years, you know.'

'Yeah, now you're the one getting hitched and having a baby.'

'I gotta ask, Daniel,' Ryan said, clipping the end off of his cigar. 'Which came first, proposal or baby?'

'Proposal, but not by much, we're talking like maybe an hour,' he laughed. 'Our little hitch-hiker was conceived when celebrating our engagement.'

The guys made teasing noises and Daniel settled back, grinning as Esposito punched him lightly in the knee. 'That's pretty ordinary considering the company you're in, right Kev?'

'Oh, come on, bro, isn't this supposed to be the weekend to embarrass the groom, not me for a change?' Ryan requested with a slight whine in his voice. 'It's been three years since that happened.'

'What?' Daniel looked from one to the other.

'Well, depends, are we talking about how you and Jenny made your son, or how you saw me and my wife making Tessi?' Esposito egged his partner, earning a guffaw from Sean.

'This I gotta hear.'

'Which one?' Castle chuckled. 'Both are equally hilarious.'

'Let's go in chronological order.'

* * *

><p>By the time they reached their destination, Daniel was indeed feeling both at ease and overwhelmed by the men's generosity - they were are the Caesar's Atlantic City resort and casino, with Daniel and Esposito in one suite while Sean, Ryan and Castle were in the other. They'd asked Dave, Gil and Cam to come with, but as they were already needing to juggle their shifts in order to come to the wedding, they were there in spirit only.<p>

The men checked into the hotel, with Esposito and Daniel sharing a suite while Sean, Castle and Ryan were one floor below. Much like Esposito had on his bachelor weekend away in Vegas with his boys, he wandered to the window with Daniel to take in the picturesque ocean view; even in the dead of winter, it was still something to see.

'Man, this feels so weird,' Daniel mused aloud. 'Last year at this time, Andrea and I were talking about taking our first trip together as a couple. Now we're two weeks away from being married and going on our honeymoon. And by Christmas, we're going to be parents to a four-month-old baby.'

'You nervous?'

'About which part?'

'Any of it.'

Daniel scratched the back of his neck. 'Certain parts, yeah. I'm more nervous about the wedding than being married. Most guys I know who've taken the plunge it's been the other way around.'

'Ask any one of the guys in our family, they'll say what you said. That's how you know you've got he right woman.'

'Andrea's all kinds of right,' he laughed. 'She's sweet, and smart, and she's so much braver than she gives herself credit for. She only thinks she's bad-ass because she scuba-dives, but you weren't there the night she told off her sister. I was almost tempted to let her go and

'I heard from Ryan she knocked that jackass out cold who abducted her,' Esposito commented, which made the groom laugh again.

'She was a champ. She is the champ, she's so wonderful. I've been mentally calling her my wife since Christmas.'

'I did the same thing with Meredeth just before I proposed to her.'

'This is still a little surreal to me, to both of us,' Daniel told the detective honestly. 'I came from a small family. My mom took off when I was hardly older than Tessi, I don't remember her at all, so it was just the Brick boys the entire time. Andrea, she didn't have much better, with those two bitches pecking at her and then her parents' divorce, then her dad dying so suddenly.'

'If you dont' mind me asking, how did it happen?'

'He had a rare form of epilepsy and had a seizure while he was driving home from work, his car swerved into oncoming traffic and he died on impact. It's why she chose February twenty-one, she wants that day to be used for something good instead of being reminded it's the day she lost the only blood family who cared about her.'

'So instead of mourning her dad's passing, she wants to celebrate her life with you. Makes perfect sense,' Esposito decided, then put a hand on his friend's shoulder. 'Come on. They're probably waiting for us downstairs.'

'Hey, in case you guys get me completely trashed later, thanks.'

'You're family now. It's what we do.'

They left the suite, headed down to find the other men in their suite where they found Castle on the phone with the concierge. 'Excellent, we'll pick up the tickets in the lobby. Thanks Mark. There's the man of the night! So, we've got dinner reservations at the Pavilion and then we're going to UFC Night, five ring-side seats. We'll be able to smell the blood.'

'What, no strippers?' Daniel asked sarcastically.

Sean winked at his little brother. 'Tomorrow night, little bro, tomorrow we see the naked ladies.'

* * *

><p>R&amp;R&amp;Enjoy!<p> 


	23. Girl's Sendoff A

'Oh, wow.'

'I know, I said the same thing when I first saw it.'

Standing beside Meredeth in the driveway, Andrea could only goggle at the massive ocean-side mansion with its gingerbread-edging and wrap-around porch. The house looked out over a sandy plateau point while the boat house followed the curve of the shoreline down a steep hill to a little marshy inlet. She'd heard the girls tell stories of coming here for holidays when they were all in labour in the hospital but the stories did no justice to its quietly wealthy grandeur.

'It's going to feel weird not being in the boathouse,' Meredeth continued as they took their luggage into the main house. 'That's where Javi and I always get to stay.'

'How come?'

'We tend to be a little...loud.'

'Oh. I see.' Andrea forced herself not to blush; it was a bachelorette weekend with her girls, after all, she was going to be sharing plenty of dirty details on Daniel. 'Is that the infamous boathouse where Kevin Ryan accidentally saw the making of Tessi?'

'The one and only. Oh, no, here. I got that.'

Meredeth picked up Andrea's bag, carried it up to the house to find the others included in the bachelorette weekend already there - Beckett and Alexis were in the kitchen with mountains of fruit while Lanie, Honey-Milk and Lili sat at the kitchen table going through some magazines. 'Hello, the lady of the weekend is here!'

'Hey, Andrea!' Alexis gave her a wide smile as she peeled an orange, her shiny engagement ring winking under the pot-lights. 'Happy almost-wedding!'

'What's all this?'

'This is the preparations of your bachelorette weekend. Right now, you're going to go upstairs to the master bedroom's ensuite where there is a little surprise waiting for you.'

'Is it a carbon copy of my almost-hubby so that we can have wet and wild bath-tub sex while he also enjoys his last weekend of being a single guy with the boys?'

'No, but this is a close second. Top of the stairs first door on the right. Up, up, up,' LIli encouraged her, smiling at Andrea's retreating back.

The bride made her way up to the bathroom, where she saw there was a piping hot jacuzzi tub filled with pineapple and mango scented bubbles. Candles of matching scents were dotted around the room, waiting to be lit and there was a fresh bouquet of hothouse frangipani by the sink. On the towel rack was a beautiful wine-coloured satin robe with a matching set of towels; beside the vase of flowers was a bottle of soft sparkling cider in a wine-chiller along with a single champagne flute and a note in Honey-Milk's unmistakable penmanship.

_Hey bride, enjoy a sweet, soft soak in the bubbles and when you're dried off, join us in the living room for some more bubbles_.

Andrea made a little 'aw' face at the card, and after undressing, she poured herself a glass of faux-champagne and sank into the welcome cushion of sweetly-scented bubbles. She actually moaned out loud like it was her lover's touch on her body instead of hot, soap water; after a long day of working with children with various ailments, Andrea was more than ready for a little me-time and a weekend off with her girls like this seemed to be the ticket.

She was cozy beneath the suds and working on her second glass of cider when there was a knock on the door. 'Andrea?' Lili's voice came through the paneled wood. 'Mind if I bring you in a treat?'

'Come on in.'

Lili bumped the door open with her hip, and she walked in with Lanie, the former with an honest-to-goodness fruit-tray, the other with what appeared to be a bible of take-out menus in her hand.

'Every mama and bride needs some pampering and since you have no food allergies, we went with the really good stuff.' Lili set the plate on the marble corner of the jacuzzi. 'We've got your mangoes, papayas, strawberries, pineapples, peaches and kiwi, along with a little bowl of lemonade sherbet to wash it down with that yummy, baby-friendly cider.'

'Thank you.'

'And I'm here to take your order for dinner. Mere's done snacks and appetizers for tonight but we're eating our main course later,' Lanie added, sitting down by the goose-neck brass bath fixtures. 'The only thing is no seafood, unless you want your wedding to be a chaser for my funeral.'

'Does that mean all seafood or just like lobsters and shrimps?'

'The second one. We've got Thai, Italian, French, Indian, English pub fare, or we can call up one of the resorts and get them to do a sampler menu for us.'

'French sounds good, I like French food,' Andrea said. 'They make excellent cheese, although can I have them still since I'm pregnant?'

'Certain ones, no, absolutely not. But I know which ones are okay when cooked. Anything you don't like?'

'Beets. No beets, they are disgusting.'

'No beets,' Lanie agreed.

'And when you're dried off and ready, we've got bridal games down in the living room. Oh, excuse me, that'll be my mother telling me about the antics all the babies are getting into,' Lili giggled when her phone went off and she left the ensutie to take the call.

Andrea watched her go and wrinkled up her nose. She'd learned from listening to them on their first real girls' night out together that Lili had only ever been to bed with her husband and that the first time they were intimate was their wedding night. Andrea considered herself a good girl in general but there was good, and there was , well, lily-white good. Moving her legs around so the water swish-swished, she looked up at Lanie as she selected a strawberry from the plate.

'She's not, like, secretly looking down her nose at me for being pregnant and getting married, is she?'

'Hell no,' Lanie scoffed. 'Lili's the spiritual sort but she's not going around town saying everything that's fun is a sin, you know? She was there for my wedding and so supportive, and I was two months pregnant with my second child when Dave and I got hitched on New Year's Eve two years ago.'

'You were?'

'Yep. Carey was almost nineteen months old and the day before New Year's Eve, I found out I was pregnant again.' Lanie was wistful as she thought of that magical night. 'It was the first thing I told Dave as his wife.'

'Seriously?'

'Yep, I said guess what Mister Robbins, and he said what Missus Doctor Parrish Robbins, and I said I'm pregnant, and he was so excited.'

Andrea speared a slice of papaya delicately. 'That very romantic. Much better than Daniel hearing it like it was part of a grocery list.'

'Whatever way you hear it is only one part, though. How Daniel treats you while you're pregnant and when you're a new mom, that's what counts.'

'I guess you're right.'

'I know I am. Now, eat your fruit up, it's good for your body and babies love the sugary stuff. Then we'll get to the fun, girly stuff later.'

When Andrea had finished her fruit and her bath, she went into the ensuite to find her clothes had all been laid out for her and she chose a pair of jeans with a bright pumpkin orange top, and while she was dressing, just for a moment, Andrea looked at her body in the mirror with a kind of wonder. She had a baby growing in there, she thought as she rubbed her palm over the creamy smooth skin of her body, a little baby made on a night meant to celebrate love and togetherness of her and Daniel. What better proof of that than creating life together?

With a giddy grin on her face, she bounced downstairs to the kitchen and saw everyone had gathered in the spacious living room. Everywhere were cutouts of yellow, pink and white tropical flowers along bold cerulean streamers hanging from the ceiling. Over on the bar were bold pitchers of various fruit juices and seven waiting martini glasses; on the table were platters of fruit, veggies, and cookies. On one side of the coffee table was a comfy-looking armchair covered in bright blue fabric, upon which rested a white faux-satin sash with the words 'Bride' printed in silver script beside a matching silver tiara and wand.

'Oh, oh my goodness, look at all of this.' Andrea clapped her hands together, found herself getting choked up. 'I don't know what to say.'

No one said anything as the bride-to-be began to weep happy little tears; they'd known from the moment they'd started planning this weekend for her that Andrea would definitely be a water-bride. All of them knew that Andrea had probably never had friends in her life like this to treat her with such warmth and unconditional love. Finally Meredeth stepped over, wrapped her arms around Andrea in a bear hug.

'I know, lovey, it's unsettling when people just love you for you when you've never really had that, right?'

'Uh-huh.'

'Not to worry. By the end of the night, you'll know way more about us than you ever wanted to. Now, to business. What can I get you to drink?'

'Something soft,' Andrea replied, accepting the napkin Alexis passed her to dab at her eyes so she didn't look like a blubbering idiot in her photos that would go into her wedding album.

'Yeah, we know that, goofy,' Honey-Milk teased her. 'We spent the last few hours juicing all the fruit from in the kitchen for making our soft cocktails tonight.'

'Oh, you guys can have some wine or something-'

'Nope, sorry.' Lanie shook her head. 'If the bride isn't drinking the hard stuff, neither are we.'

'You want a Green Alien or a Rail Splitter? One is pineapple juice, fizzy lemonade, lime cordial, and crushed ice. The other is lemon juice, club soda, sugar syrup and sours mix,' Lili told her, going to the bar to begin making drinks.

'Green Alien, please.'

'Oh, we also have some pomegranate juice and sours mix for doing shots later,' Beckett added, 'or for when we play Twenty Questions.'

'Are you sure you wanna do that?' Alexis teased her stepmother. 'Last time we had a girls' night like that talking about our men, you wanted to crawl under the table hearing me brag about Shane.'

'Different story now that you two are getting married.'

'Here, Andrea, come sit.' Honey-Milk patted the blue chair and with Meredeth and Alexis on camera detail, crowned the lady of the weekend, put her sash on over her shoulders. 'Now you'll look like a pretty, pretty, Irish princess while we grill you on all the dirty-deets of your love life with Daniel.'

'We'll start with this,' Lanie added pulling the book she'd brought to Meredeth's bachelorette party - _101 Naughty Questions For Every Blushing Bride_. 'I'm a particular fan of question sixty-nine.'

Andrea could only laugh as Lili brought her over a martini glass filled with something green and fizzing. 'Tuck in, Andrea, it's going to be get very dirty and sugar always helps.'

* * *

><p>R&amp;R&amp;Enjoy<p> 


	24. Boys' Sendoff B

By Saturday evening, Daniel definitely knew he was in the company of friends; there was no doubt from the way they were treating him like a prince. They'd enjoyed a true chest-thumping caveman's night out by enjoying flame-seared red meat in the form of disgustingly delicious porterhouse and petit-fillet mignons - for Ryan the veggie-saurus there was a portobello mushroom saute prepared the same way - followed up by UFC Night at the Palladium Arena where they'd watched grown men in tiny shorts beat the ever-lasting shit out of each other while they'd roared and bayed with the crowd for more. The exhilaration of it, of being with men who welcomed him with open arms and a hearty slap on the back, was something Daniel hadn't realized he wanted until it was here in front of him.

The next morning had been followed up with an in-suite buffet and the morning in the casino's exclusive Texas Hold'Em tournaments where they all sat in for a high-roller hand. Ryan had cashed out the moment he'd gotten a little bit ahead and gone to find the slot machines with Daniel and then the roulette wheel, where they bet their women's birthdays, their anniversaries, Dell and Mallory's birthdays and Andrea's due-date; they'd come away with four hundred and thirty-three dollars between them and Ryan insisted that as the man of the weekend he should keep it and put it towards something for himself and Andrea.

After lunch in Trump SkyTower - a restaurant with a glass floor to give the illusion of floating free while eating - they'd gone to see the Cirque du Soleil: Legendary Nights show which had them all gasping and squirming in their seats in impressed entertainment. Daniel watched the way one woman in a shimmering silver unitard did handstands and twists and turns and was reminded of midnight skinny-dipping with Andrea when they'd gone to Hawai'i for their summer vacation. Her milk-white body had looked silvery like a mermaid's in the moonlit water. Perhaps they'd do that again in Greece, he thought, take a romantic cruise out into the bay and go for a swim, then make love under the stars on their ship.

When they'd left the theatre discussing the various acts of contortionism and how they might like to try them with their own sweet ladies, Esposito had just shaken his head and given Daniel an elbow in the ribs, murmuring they'd be just as likely to buy them flowers or a pint of ice cream as turn them into the hybrid of Gumby and a sex-doll. Now back in the hotel room, Daniel put in a call to Andrea's cellphone - like Esposito and Dave before him, he'd been given a total of three phone calls to his beloved the entire weekend - and was grinning widely when he heard her on the other end sounding completely blissed out. After exchanging 'I love yous' Daniel hung up and flopped backwards on the bed.

'She sounds happy, Javier. It's been a long time since I've heard her so relaxed and satisfied. Well, maybe not so long, like Thursday night,' he amended, making Esposito chuckle.

'Save it for tonight. Make my partner's head explode.'

'I don't get it, why is he so squeamish about talking with the guys about sex?'

'Probably all those years of Catholic school coming back to him now that he has his own kids,' Esposito decided. 'Dell's already trying to put the moves on Tessi and he's barely half a year in kindergarten.'

'I've seen those two young'uns together, they are quite the pair. But Dell's very protective of her. I don't think you need to worry about anything for about fifteen years or so.'

The house-line rang and Esposito picked up from his own supine position on his side of the king-sized bed. 'Hello. Oh, hey baby. Yeah, we're having a great time, we just got in from Cirque du Soleil, and we're crashing before dinner and then...evening entertainment. Yeah, yeah, but they're not as fine as my sexy Dane. Love you too. Bye.'

'Amazing you can do that,' Daniel commented.

'Do what?'

'Be the cool guy and the loving husband and the bad-ass cop all at once.'

'Don't worry, you'll be the cool guy and the loving husband and the bad-ass nurse anesthetist once your little dumpling's here too,' he reassured him, making Daniel laugh. 'What?'

'I've never been called a bad-ass nurse anesthetist before.'

'What should I say if one of the ladies is giving me a lapdance and asks what I do?'

'You're not getting one,' Esposito shook his head. 'It's an unspoken rule, all the women are for looking only. You wanna reach out and touch someone, go home to your wife or take matters into your own hands in the men's room.'

'Got it.'

Esposito picked up the phone, ordered a wake-up for six pm for the room so that they would be able to make their eight-pm dinner reservations and head out for Castle's evening entertainment - he'd planned the thing so only he truly knew the agenda, which was fine with Daniel - and turned onto his side. 'Don't go thinking I'm the mother of your child in your sleep,' he teasingly warned his friend.

'Same goes, Detective.'

* * *

><p>As Esposito predicted, Castle's idea of evening entertainment for a bachelor party was both expected and unexpected: they knew he was planning high-class strippers but there was always a twist with him. They discovered said twist when they took their limo to the club called 'La Vieille Maison de Paris', which featured old-school burlesque performers who put the 'tease' back in 'striptease'. They were shown to their VIP tables - complete with bottle service, natch - by a busty redhead that made Daniel ache for his baby mama something fierce.<p>

'Thank you, Mademoiselle Sandrine,' Castle told her, discreetly slipping her a generous tip, then looked on stage where a trio of impossibly built blondes were high-kicking in true can-can style, showing off all kinds of skimpy underwear while they wore nothing but matching glittering pasties up top. 'Wonder if I could ever convince Kate to wear that for Hallowe'en,' he mused aloud, making the other men snort.

'Yeah, right,' Ryan scoffed. 'And would you like her to shoot you before or after you bring that up?'

'I once got my girl to do a _Star Trek_ fantasy for me,`Daniel`s brother Sean commented, eyes following the rhythmic movement of the dancers. 'Incidentally, I think that's the night we conceived Nathan.'

'Come on, lover boy,' Esposito teased Daniel, slapping his shoulder as he eyed up the waitress who brought them their drinks; he didn't blame the man at all. He'd done the same thing with the strippers at his own bachelor party - looked at them and fantasized about Meredeth. 'This is the perfect time to spill your guts and brag about Andrea. Any little fantasies she's made come to life?'

'Well, she did dress up as Sabine the courtesan from _Space Cowboy_ on my birthday, that was pretty fuckin' awesome,' Daniel admitted on a laugh and taking a sip of the beer the redheaded waitress had brought to them. 'She even had the Spanish combs in her hair, and after that, not much on her body.'

'That's hot,' Ryan agreed.

'I knew she was a wild one, the redheads always are,' Castle chipped in, resting his elbows on the table. 'She ever get a little wild, play a little tie-me-up, tie-me-down with you?'

'Depends.' Getting in the spirit, Daniel drank more beer and grinned widely. 'Are we talking handcuffs or just velvet ropes of some kind?'

'Either one,' Esposito replied; he'd also admitted to one steamy night with Meredeth where they'd done a little of the same thing.

'She, ah, tried this one thing, where she had some silk scarves on the headboard just for grabbing onto and then did that thing with the ice cubes-'

'Oh, yeah, that's always a classic.'

'Gentlemen, I'd like to propose a little toast, before things get too messy here.' Sean raised his beer into the middle of the table. 'To my little brother, who's going to be a husband and a father all in one year, here's wishing you and Andrea a drama-free marriage. Well, not totally drama free. You gotta have a little spice in there to keep in interesting, but not so much that-'

Daniel put a hand on his brother's shoulder. 'Sean, I understand what you mean.'

'To Daniel and Andrea,' Sean finished, and everyone clinked bottles, repeating his words. 'Now, let's watch some girls with daddy-issues get naked for strangers and money.'

As they sat back and enjoyed the show, Daniel chuckled as he watched them all - Ryan, the slightly shy Irish-Catholic boy who reminded Daniel so much of himself it was almost frightening, Esposito the smooth-talking Puerto-Rican who despite his cocky and brash exterior was a one-woman man and protected a heart of gold, and Castle, the charming writer with the playboy vibe who would organize his friends and plan a bachelor weekend like this for someone they'd only become friends with a little while before. Despite being able to focus on the entertainment and missing Andrea like madness when he watched a stupendously stacked red-head skin down seductively to her glitter-pasties and g-string, Daniel could stop the single most important question of the weekend from nagging in his brain. When the Ry-Sposito monster left for the men's room, Daniel moved over a chair and spoke as clearly as he could to the writer.

'Listen, Castle.' Daniel propped his slightly too-heavy head on his fist. 'I gotta ask. You barely know me and Andrea, I mean we helped birth your babies but outside of that, you've only known us for a few months.'

'What's your question?'

'Why all this hoopla for me and her?'

Castle shrugged with a smile, touched his bottle of beer to Daniel's. 'We're family now. It's what we do.'

'And the girls are doing something similar for Andrea?'

'All I can say on that one is thank your lucky stars she's already pregnant and can't drink.' Ryan pointed at Daniel from across the table. 'We won't be coming home to the wreckage like after Mere and Javi's single-life send-offs.'

'I haven't heard this one, and I know Sean hasn't either. Do tell.'

As Castle relayed the story, Daniel laughed out loud. 'Oh that would have been one to see for sure!'

'Could have been worse, an old college buddy of mine, he took his brother out for his bachelor party night with a few pals only the place they went wasn't exactly legal and one of the guys fell asleep while the stripper was giving him a lapdance, and the other one wouldn't take no for an answer and she actually chased him off. They were done and home by half-past midnight.' Castle paused for a sip of his drink. 'It's why I like coming to places like this for my friends' send-offs. It's not just about seeing naked ladies, though that is always a plus. It's about the experience, the ritual of male bonding. If it was just about seeing a hot woman get naked, I'd stay at home with my wife.'

Daniel chuckled. 'I'm missing mine.'

'And knowing my wife and her girls as I do, you'll have some pretty innovative sex once you're home alone together.'

* * *

><p>R&amp;R&amp;Enjoy!<p> 


	25. Girls' Sendoff B

By nine pm, Andrea was certain she'd turned the baby into a diabetic from all the wonderful naturally sweet juice martinis they'd been drinking while playing naughty games like The Purity Test and Never Have I Ever, and opening gifts of honey-moon lingerie. Andrea had in particular liked the ensembles Alexis and Lanie had given her - one was a floor length nightie in soft-meadow green that was sheer as glass and had slits up each side that went from ankle to hip; the other was a little more risque in the form of a black and silver bustier with frilly-fanny panties that had attached garters for matching black and silver stockings. Clearly, they all wanted to ensure that she and Daniel had a good time on their honey-moon, and unwrapping all the fancy undies had led to all the girls reminiscing over the sexy silk and satin they'd received as brides to be and teasing Alexis about what she had to look forward to when she and Shane set a date in a year or two.

When the food arrived, they decided to take a break and while Lanie and Honey-Milk set up the buffet in the kitchen, Andrea sat on one of the bar-stools while Meredeth built their soft martinis and poured them into their waiting glasses.

'I have to say, I never thought my bachelorette party would be quite like this.'

'How so?'

'It's fun,' Andrea said honestly. 'I didn't think I'd ever really have girlfriends like this to pal around with and share dirty stories with, you know? I always thought it was rude to gossip about my man like that.'

'Well, brace yourself, we haven't gotten to that book that Lanie brought with her and that one is mos-def worse than the purity test. Trust me, I've been in your shoes for Lili and Lanie's shenanigans.'

'I'm glad I chose this over a bridal shower. Having both plus wedding gifts feels a little redundant, you know?'

'I understand.' Meredeth nudged Andrea's glass towards her. 'You guys are already living together and yeah it's nice to get new stuff, but the truth is, the majority of the stuff you'd get at a bridal shower we're giving you tonight anyways, and knowing Castle like I do, he'll make sure that the guys also do something like that for Daniel.'

'I called him a little while ago, the guys were taking him out to a strip club.' She wrinkled her nose. 'I've never understood the appeal of going and seeing women take off their clothes.'

'If you can explain how that part of the male brain works to me, you're a saint among women. I've tried to figure some of it out, but my man always manages to surprise me. And it's so funny because certain things you wouldn't expect out of them are the things they are most particular about.'

'Oh, I know.' Alexis caught the tail end of what Meredeth was saying and hopped up on the bar-stool beside Andrea. 'When Shane came to England and surprised me back in November, we were really into it and...oh, I don't know if I can really share this, it's kinda graphic.'

'Sweetie, I've seen every woman in here with the exception of you and Lili give birth more than once. Graphic is a relative term.'

'Okay.' Trying not to blush red as her hair, Alexis recounted her tale. 'Obviously, not having seen my man since August, I was more than a little anxious to see him and after he'd gotten to my place and after he'd had a quick power-nap, we were getting into the good stuff, and he, ah, was behind me while we were making love-'

'Naughty girl,' Meredeth interjected to tease the newly-engaged young woman.

'And afterward, Shane told me he didn't like doing it like that because he liked to watch my face at...the moment of truth.'

'What moment of truth?' Honey-Milk asked, wandering up for her own refill. 'Oh, we talking about dirty stuff?'

'Alexis was saying that Shane doesn't like doing her from behind because he can't watch her climax,' Meredeth recapped, making Alexis blush a bit and Honey-Milk simply shrug.

'Hey, whatever works. My Kev doesn't really like a lot of dirty talk and I had one boyfriend before him who wanted a whole Penthouse Forum letter while we were in bed together.'

Thankfully for Andrea before they could wander too far into this sticky x-rated web, Lanie stuck her head around the corner of the kitchen door. 'Dinner, she be ready!'

'Come on, my dirty little ponies,' Honey-Milk said, wrapping an arm each around Andrea and Alexis, 'let's chow.'

It was a delicious spread, but then, Andrea knew that French food would be nothing less: there was pissaladiere with bacon, creme fraiche and caramelized onions for an appetizer along with salad nicoise and a little tureen of French onion soup complete with croutons and cheese; for main course there was boeuf bourgignonne, mushroom turnovers and pasta with pesto, pine-nuts and a baby-safe gruyere and for dessert an assortment of eclairs and napoleons. The baby, it appeared, loved the pissaladiere, as Andrea found herself going back for second and even third pieces of it. The others watched her too, noting that she was no longer hesitant or embarrassed about being hungry; she was simply eating because she wanted to eat. While it may have seemed trivial to some, these women knew what kind of emotional progress it was for a woman who'd always been told by family she was fat and worthless to be get her snack-groove on with such vitality.

When Andrea was certain they would go into a food coma if they ate anymore, Lili brought over a plate of fresh fruit and lemon sorbet just like the kind Andrea had indulged in the jacuzzi, while Lanie procured a little silver tray of disposable shot glasses filled with crimson liquid.

'Now it's time for Twenty-Questions, taken right from here,' she teased, holding up the _101 Naughty Questions for Every Blushing Bride_ book.'Where should we start?'

'What's Daniel's birthday?' Lili asked.

'June nineteenth.'

'Okay, start with number six and then on to number nineteen. And we've got a little bit of pomegranate juice with sours mix to give you some courage,' Lanie added, pointing to the shot-glasses. 'So, Meredeth, as maid of honour, you get to ask the first question.'

Meredeth grinned, taking the book from her friend, and made an exaggerated surprise face. 'Oh, this is a good one. Describe your first time with your man.'

'That is a good one,' Honey-Milk agreed, popping a chunk of pineapple in her mouth. 'I bet it was when you guys had Thanksgiving together.'

'Our first date? No.' Andrea shook her head. 'No, actually, it was the morning after you had RJ, Kate.'

At this confession, Beckett perked up. 'Seriously?'

'Yeah. We'd gone to my place since it's closer to the hospital than his old apartment, and crawled into bed after a long shift, and when we woke up, we were just having pillow talk like you do, and then, the next thing I know, it's all hot...and steamy...and very, very loud.'

All the women 'ooh'd salaciously, making Lili give Meredeth a friendly elbow. 'You just might have to give up your boathouse with my brother for the newlyweds in May when we have our weekend getaway here.'

'Maybe.'

'So was it all like, I have to have you now, or patients be damned, they can wait while I sex my woman up?' Lanie asked, eyes shining from sugar and eagerness for details.

'Somewhere in the middle, he was just...Daniel,' Andrea laughed. 'My sexy superman. He did give me multiple orgasms, though, that was a first with him. Never had that before.'

'Aw, that's so cute. Okay, question nineteen.' Meredeth flipped the pages in the book. 'Oh, another good one, this is good for everyone. Have you ever been interrupted while making love with your fiance?' Meredeth traced her fingertip under the words.

'I was a virgin until my wedding night, does having any kind of intimacy interrupted count?' Lili asked, reaching for a shot of juice.

'Sure. Anything that involves you, your man, sexy times and being busted during or after the fact counts. Andrea?'

'No, no, let's save the bride for last.' Honey-Milk tossed back the pomegranate shot, licked her lips with a grin. 'I think Andrea should hear the story of how my husband found out about Alexis and Shane.'

Alexis groaned, shook her head. 'I actually have a much better story than that for this little game.'

'Alexis, I'm shocked!' Beckett pretended to be scandalized. 'You and Shane have had sex more than once before the night of your engagement?'

'Yes, Mom, surprise surprise. It was actually the same afternoon that Shane surprised me by coming to England,' Alexis told Andrea. 'I was home alone when he got there and we figured we had the place to ourselves so we made no attempt to be quiet while we were reuniting, and after we gotten a post-coital shower together, we went into the kitchen to find my roommate Theresa there and she'd heard everything, and I do mean _everything_.'

'Go, Lex,' Lanie said in a satisfied, impressed voice before turning to Lili. 'What about you, Lucita? Your big brother's Javier Esposito who just loves to torture Detective Ryan with his escapades. He ever do the same thing to you?'

'Yeah, but I don't think he realized it at the time.'

'Why, what were you two up to?' Meredeth, Beckett and Andrea leaned forward in anticipation as Lili grinned proudly.

'It was about two weeks after Cam proposed to me, and he'd come off of the night shift on a Saturday so I was at home and we were getting into it, and I was giving him oral sex so he might get a little sleep. Anyways, we were in the middle of it and my phone rings, and it's my big brother wanting to talk to me but Cam was just like, she's busy, go away, click.' Lili arched an eyebrow. 'Imagine the look on Javier Esposito's face when he discovered the reason his little sister was otherwise occupied.

'That's a good one,' Meredeth snicked. 'I may have to use that on him when our daughters start dating.'

'Now it's Andrea's turn,' Beckett declared, patting her friend's shoulder. 'Ever had to tell anyone to pound salt while you were getting pounded?'

'We were having a nice, not-so-quiet night at Daniel's place,' Andrea began, picking out one of her favourite oops-stories with her man, 'and we were just about to go from foreplay into full sex when his houseline rang and it was his nephew, Nathan, and Daniel had accidentally put him on speakerphone,' she giggled, making the others' eyes pop wide as saucers.

'Did he hear anything?' Honey-Milk asked breathlessly.

'No, but we heard him say to Sean, Daniel's brother, I think he's on the treadmill, he sounds all out of breath, and of course Sean figured it out right away, but still. The look on Daniel's face when he realized he'd been sex-stopped by his seven year old nephew was one I'll never forget.' Andrea took a shot of juice, tossed it back. 'What's the next one, Mere?'

* * *

><p>R&amp;R&amp;Enjoy<p> 


	26. Welcome Home Honey: 11 Weeks

On Sunday afternoon, Daniel was actually a little sad when the sleek black limo pulled to the curb outside his apartment building; he didn't want this weekend of revelry and camaraderie to end. But on the other hand, he did want to see his girl - the guys talking about how their wives would corrupt his sweet Andrea with ideas for pregnancy and wedding sex had given him ideas and he'd had to check himself on Saturday night from rolling over and cuddling up with Esposito in the hotel bed.

As there was only himself and Castle left in the limo, the man hopped out with him, helped him with his luggage from the trunk. Daniel wasn't surprised when the man pulled him in for a quick, tight hug.

'Thanks for everything this weekend, man.'

'And just think, next weekend, Valentine's with your baby mama and then your wedding,' Castle grinned. 'Think you can handle it?'

'I help bring babies into the world, Castle, I think I've got it covered.'

'Yeah, you say that now. Javier Esposito survived a bullet wound and psycho-ex-girlfriend trying to boot Meredeth from the hospital and he was shaking like a leaf in a high wind.'

Daniel laughed. 'Maybe it just hasn't hit me yet.'

'Trust me, you'll be like the rest of us, waiting impatiently at the altar and fussing with your tie, wondering why it has to be so tight.'

'Take care man, see you soon.'

He watched Castle hop back in the limo to head back to SoHo while Daniel went inside, up to his apartment to find his own sweet bride was in the shower. As her suitcase and purse were still by the end of the couch he knew she'd just barely beaten him home. He knocked on the bathroom door, stuck his head in. 'Andrea, honey?'

'Oh, Jesus!' In the shower, Andrea jumped about a foot out of her skin. 'Daniel, you scared me!'

'Sorry. You just get home?'

'Yeah, about ten minutes ago. Wanna join me?'

'Sure.'

Pulling his sweater over his head and dragging off the rest of his clothes, Daniel pushed the curtain back to find Andrea with suds in her hair and her face covered in some weird neon-blue goop. 'Did a Smurf run into you and go splat?'

'It's an all-natural beauty mask, the girls got it for me as a gift. We had a whole spa day yesterday.'

'Did you now?' he grinned, reaching past her for the shampoo for himself as Andrea rinsed the sticky cream from her face.

'Mm-hmm. We got our hair trimmed and styled, mani-pedis, facials, wraps, waxing, even massages, our choice of Swedish or shiatsu. I went for shiatsu. Nothing like that deep-down feeling of awesome. I've been waxed and buffed and pummeled and polished.'

'You guys didn't go out to a strip club or something equally embarrassing?'

'Nope.' Andrea held the shower-bar tightly, stretched to her tips toes to kiss her fiance. 'They came to us.'

'Come again?'

'The girls had the strippers come to us out at the house in the Hamptons. There was a pair of firefighters and a guy I think was supposed to be the Lone Ranger but he looked more like Zorro.'

Daniel had to chuckle. 'I heard stories on the weekend about what that lot did to Meredeth her last weekend as a single lady. Bet you she-wolves ate those poor guys alive.'

'Oh, no animals were harmed in the celebration of my last weekend as a single woman.' Andrea wrinkled her nose as she rinsed her auburn mane. 'I've always thought that was such a weird way to put it. I'm not single, I haven't been single in over a year.'

'I think it was originally meant as 'unmarried', as in not legally binding.'

'Well, even so I...oh, who cares,' she laughed. 'Two weeks from today, we'll be on our way to Greece to celebrate our first weeks together as husband and wife.'

'Damn right we are. In fact, once we get out of this shower, I think we should practice for that night.'

He rooted at her throat, effectively washing the soap from his hair and making Andrea sputter at water that poured off his forehead. 'Once we're done in here.'

'Fine, if you insist.' The mock annoyance in Daniel's voice was undercut with a grin. 'Just as well, the bed is far safer and more spacious than a shower. Although, there was that little dip we took on New Years at Castle's place.'

'Oh, man, don't even joke about that. After hearing the stories I did this weekend, well...suffice to say I'll use the downstairs bathroom more often when we visit.'

'That bad huh?'

'Dell was conceived in that upstairs bathroom, amongst other goings-on,' Andrea told him, which had Daniel chuckling.

'Not surprising from the way I heard Kevin Ryan brag about his wife this weekend. At least we can tell our little one we made him or her on the living room floor.'

'And won't that make family movie night just delightful?' she giggled, shutting off the water and ripping back the shower curtain for a towel. 'Here, we'll share.'

Daniel stepped out to give her some room and standing on the bathmat, watched her rub the soft terrycloth over her shoulders, around to her breasts, down her torso; each pass had him swallowing tightly and he felt the blood run hotter in his veins as he watched that soft, womanly lower half of her torso where their baby was quietly growing inside her. When she'd finished, she handed him the towel and smiled gently with her grey eyes sparkling like misty jewels.

'Here, your turn.'

He took the towel, dried off the beaded water from his skin, then looped it around her waist, pulled her close for a kiss. He lingered on her lips, hands on her backside to keep her close. 'Mm, Andrea, my love, I must have you now.'

'Heehee, you sound like a hero from some Harlequin romance novel.'

'Ja, my name is Hans, and I've come to ravish you my little edelweiss,' he said in an exaggerated Germanic accent. With his cinderblock-sized arms, he scooped up his beautiful girl and carried her into their bedroom and twisted so when he landed on the bed Andrea sprawled on his chest. Reaching up a tender, gentle hand, he tucked the rope of damp auburn hair behind her ear. 'My gorgeous girl.'

Andrea leaned down, pressed her lips to his. He tasted fresh and masculine, and smelled even better from their shower together. The feel of him already hot and growing hard against her made her sigh into his mouth. Here was love, arousing and comforting all in one - her gorgeous man with his even more beautiful mind and heart and soul. She moved so her body stretched on top of his, legs tangling and hips against his, her sweet secretive places touching his.

Daniel groaned as his hands traced over her smooth back, pulling her tight to him; the feel of her breasts against the fine blonde hair hairs on his chest made him move underneath her. He touched her brow, saw the look in her eyes and nipped her lower lip. It would not be the acrobatics his friends had hinted at, but love-making in the truest sense of the word: showing this woman, his bride and the mother of his unborn child, how much she meant to him by giving her nothing but pleasure in its purest form. He twined one rope of her fiery hair around his finger, then groaned even louder when she arched against him.

'Andrea, you feel so good, baby.'

'I missed you.'

'I missed you too. Both of you,' he added, rolling so she was underneath him and he could stroke a hand over her belly and let it drift up to her breast. They'd already started to become heavy with hormones from pregnancy and in his mind, had never looked better. His thumb grazed her nipple and she sighed in reflex, hips grinding against his. Daniel grinned, she'd always loved his hands on her body and was no longer shy about letting him know just how much she loved them touching her. His other moved over the soft skin of her torso to the other one.

'Daniel.' Andrea sighed out his name, shifting so her legs hooked over his hips. The sensation of his touch so sweet on her body, where all those nerve endings were clustered together and sending white-hot bullets of lust zipping through her system and ending in the place between her thighs where her fiance was cradled. She let her hands fall away as she arched her back into his touch so she filled his hands. When he lowered his mouth to one, she let out a loud gasp at the gentle rasp of his tongue against such sensitive skin.

He smiled as he suckled and teased her; the heat rising from her body was enough for a man to drown and that's what he planned to do. After, of course, he'd made her see stars and she him. When he lifted his head to see her face, saw it was lax with the twin powers of love and lust, he stroked his palm down to where they were pressed together so intimately and touched her to test her readiness.

'Andrea.' Her name was a murmur, a promise on his lips as she closed her hand over him and guided him inside her wet, womanly vault. He moaned as her hips bucked upwards so he was buried deep inside her; he watched her eyes glaze cloud with erotic delight as they began to move together.

It was amazing, Andrea thought, as her nails dug light furrows in the soft skin between his shoulder-blades. This beautiful and powerful man could be so impossibly sweet and tender, and always managed to make her feel like the sexiest, most gorgeous woman in the world. Most especially in moments like this; it was her last conscious thought as the first tremors began to overtake her body. Then it was like being crushed by an ocean wave, as the orgasm swamped her senses and she gasped out his name in broken breaths and syllables with the pleasure cresting inside her.

Daniel closed his eyes, his face buried at her throat as he felt her come in a single glorious explosion. She clenched vise-like around him, her hips moving at a frenetic rhythm against his, yet somehow he managed to stay focused on giving her what she needed. There'd been times in their relationship when it had been reversed, where it was her setting the pace to show him how much she loved him and he knew there would be times like that in their marriage as well, but in the last few months, it was about him being there for her. Right now, it was not a hard sacrifice to make, he knew.

Then everything was gone and there was only her telling him she was coming again, and this time when she shuddered against him in pleasure, he let himself shudder and succumb with her.

They lay twined together in their big, comfy bed, the afternoon light glinting through the window as they both tried to catch their breath.

'Well,' Daniel murmured, pulling the sheets up and over their cooling bodies, 'that's one way to welcome each other home.'

* * *

><p>R&amp;R&amp;Enjoy!<p> 


	27. One Mother to Another: 13 Weeks

'Andrea, honey, there's a call for you.'

She peeled open her eye. It was two days before the rehearsal dinner and Andrea was enjoying the peaceful drifting bliss before she had to get up and ready for the ten-to-eight shift at the hospital. Above her, Daniel hovered with a concerned look on his face. 'What is it? Who's calling?'

'It's your mother.'

'Oh man. Gimme the phone.'

Andrea sat up, keeping the sheets wrapped around her like a cape as she took the house-line receiver from him. She felt love for him surge strong when he sat down beside her, rubbing her back in supportive circles. 'Hello, Mom.'

'Andrea, what is this, I just saw in the _Ledger_ that you and Daniel are getting married?' On the other end of the connection, Agnes Hennessey Huntington McMaster's voice was overly bright, a sign to her daughter that despite the early hour, she was already in the cocktail pitcher. Either that or she was still drunk from the previous night. 'I thought your sisters talked to you about this, and it was decided all around that you and he marrying wasn't a good idea?'

'Oh Mom, it's too early, and I am too hormonal and too busy to deal with this,' Andrea replied with a little laugh. 'Between the wedding this weekend and the honey-moon and getting ready for the baby, the last thing I need is you dragging up business that's been dead and done for nearly three months.'

'Baby? Andrea, are you pregnant?'

Andrea grinned at Daniel, gave him a little squeezing hug. 'Yes, Mom, I'm pregnant,' she said. 'Daniel and I are so happy about it, I mean it's a little sooner than we anticipated starting our family together but we're so excited.'

'Is that why he's marrying you?'

'No, Mom. He's marrying me because he loves me.' She'd said this so many times to Gerry and Cora in the three weeks between their engagement announcement and the murders of Fiona Birk and Francis Reinhold that it felt a little bit like a static response but looking at him, Andrea knew it was the truth. 'The night he asked me to marry him, we made love right in the middle of our living room floor and we made our baby. After we found out about the little guy or gal's imminent arrival, we moved our wedding date up from next October to this weekend.'

'And you didn't think to invite me to the wedding?'

'No, I didn't.'

'Why not, I'm your mother, I should be there.'

Now Andrea's temper flared. 'And where were you when your two oldest daughters were tormenting me, telling me that my fiance and the father of my child, the man I love and adore and am going to spend the rest of my life with, was going to leave me, that I wasn't good enough for him?'

'Andrea if you have problems with your sisters, it's your job to work them out, not mine.'

'That's what you've told me every day since I was eleven years old and you and Daddy finalized your divorce. Even when they told me the only way I'd ever get a date was if someone did it on a dare or was paid to take me out, you told me that it was part of growing up to learn to solve my differences with my so-called sisters.'

'Which it is,' Agnes agreed.

'Well, let's look at this. Their method of conflict resolution has one of them in jail for illegal accounting practices and the other in jail for a whole host of murder related charges. Or did you just not bother to read that part of the _Ledger's _website?'

'Andrea, I'm sure it's not as bad as all that,' Agnes simpered, and Andrea heard the clink of ice cubes in an empty glass. _Morning mimosas it is_, she decided.

'I can send you the copy of the articles from the Westchester _Tribune_, if you like.'

'Really, Andrea, I just wanted to be at your wedding.'

'Well, perhaps if you'd been more of a mother to me, then you would have such a privilege.' Andrea waited a beat. 'Love you, Mom.'

'Love you too, sweetheart. I'll call you next time I'm in town, we'll have lunch just us girls, okay?'

Daniel watched Andrea hang up the phone, give a little laugh. 'What is it?' he asked.

'I hope to God I'm never ever like her. She saw our engagement announcement in the _Ledger's_ website, and decided to call and ask why I didn't take my sisters' dumb fucking advice that marrying you isn't a good idea. It's...' She trailed off, leaned into his embrace. 'Oh God, it's way too early in the morning to deal with this level of headache she's already causing me.'

'Shh, can you hear that?'

'Hear what?'

'It little Patrick or Regan in there, saying Mama don't worry about that silly crazy lady, you love Daddy and you're going to wear a pretty dress and tell him so on Saturday,' Daniel replied in a helium-squeak of a voice, making Andrea laugh.

'Wasn't Regan one of the bitch-sisters in _King Lear_?'

'No swearing around our baby.' He held his hands over her stomach like he was covering a child's ears. 'And yes she was along with Goneril, which I suppose would make you Cordelia. Oh, that's a good name, don't you-'

'Forget it, pal. If we're going the Shakespearean route, we can do a damn sight better than someone who carved out her brother-in-law's eyeballs with a spoon. Are you going into work with me?'

'No, I've got today off, then we're both on tomorrow six to three. But if you like, I can go in with you.'

'It's okay. I need just a little bit of me-time after dealing with my mother.'

'Okay.' Daniel gave her a kiss. 'You need breakfast. I'll make you something while you're in the shower.'

* * *

><p>'Hey it's the almost Missus Brick!'<p>

Andrea looked up from writing in the chart in her hands and grinned at Honey-Milk. 'Hey Nurse Ryan.'

'Will it still be Nurse Hennessey after you're an ol' married lady like me?'

'Nope, I will be Missus and Nurse Brick.'

'Does that mean I get to call you Lady Brick to distinguish between you?' she asked, eyes dancing with excitement, making Andrea laugh.

'Sure, if you like.'

'Listen, it's almost my break-time and I'm meet Dell downstairs to take him to the after-school program, could you check on Shelley McKenna, see if she or her mother needs anything?'

'Of course.'

Andrea clicked her pen shut, then went past the pediatric common room for a few books, a ball of yarn and one of the sets of children's knitting needles before going into the little girl's room. She shoved the door open to see the girl, all of twelve sitting up in bed while sucking on a grape Popsicle and watching the TV. 'Hey Shelley, I'm Andrea, remember me from yesterday?'

'Uh-huh. You're having a baby?' Shelley asked in a voice dull with painkillers.

'That's right. He or she is about thirteen weeks old right now. I brought some knitting needles in, thought you might like to learn how to make a scarf.'

'Make a scarf?' Shelley's eyebrows wrinkled.

'Yeah. It's something you can do that will keep your hands from crimping up from your IV, and you can let your throat rest so it has a chance to heal nicely after your tonsillectomy. You think that sounds like a good idea?'

'Uh-huh.' Shelley set aside her Popsicle into a bowl, switched it out for the apple-juice and ginger-ale slushy so she'd have her hands freed up to learn; she pointed to the bright red and orange skein of yarn leaving Andrea with the blue and white.

'So first we make a loop like this, snug but we want both the needles to fit through. Now we're going to begin making out starter chain and this is important because this tells us how wide or narrow our scarf will be. These are size-ten needles, so we want to use a few more stitches, I'd recommend thirty-six.' The nurse positioned the girl's hands, demonstrated how to pull the wool through its self-made loops. 'There you go, that's the way. Now when you get to the end of the line, you switch your needles out, you're a leftie like me so you'll always want to keep your leading string on your right hand side.'

'Thank you, Nurse Hennessey.'

Andrea glanced up and saw Shelley's mother Rochelle standing in the doorway with a take-out bag that smelled deliciously of tomato and broth. 'I know what it's like to be in the hospital and want to see a friendly face.'

'How is she doing? I mean from a medical stand-point. I teach music in a private school, I'm as far away from the medical profession as you can get,' Rochelle said with a laugh. 'Is she healing on schedule?'

'That's the kind of thing the doctor should be telling you, but I can say that Shelley isn't presenting with any signs of infections or post-op complications.'

'What do complications look like? I just...Shelley's father and I are getting a divorce, and I'm all she has. I want to make sure if I take her home, I know when to call the doctor.'

'Complications usually look like severe fever. Sweats and chills, difficulty swallowing, pain even with the medication.'

'Right.'

Andrea gave her a smile; then her stomach betrayed her as the woman took out containers of smooth tomato-vegetable broth that was chock full of flavour and nutrients. 'Oh that smells yummy.'

'Well, the deal was on three bowls of soup for six dollars. I was going to save one for Shelley in case she didn't like the dinner being served, but would you like it instead?'

'Preggo, Mom,' Shelley rasped delicately. 'She needs...to eat.'

'Oh, then that's it then. You sit down with us young lady and eat this healthy lunch,' Rochelle declared definitively. 'There's a small salad in there as well and bread-rolls as well. How far along are you?'

'About thirteen weeks.'

'Are you and your husband going to find out what the sex is ahead of time?'

'He's not my husband yet. He will be this weekend,' Andrea said softly. 'We, ah, got pregnant the night we were celebrating our engagement last November.'

'So romantic. Anyways, the question still stands.'

'I don't think so.'

Rochelle continued to pepper Andrea with questions until her pager beep-beeped, and Andrea went to meet her soon-to-be husband in the elevator bay of the main floor. 'Hey,' she said to him. 'What up?'

'Harvey has an emergency C-section coming in, ETA ten minutes out via ambulance. How's your morning going?'

'Good, much better than chatting with my mother earlier.' Andrea nibbled her lip in thought. 'What do you think of the name Rochelle if it's a little girl?'

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><p>R&amp;R&amp;Enjoy<p> 


	28. 22 Hours to Go

_Hello my Crumbsians! Are you all in need of therapy for withdrawal like me over this no-new-Castles-until-September thing? Hopefully, keeping up with the Crumbsians helps ease the pain. And I hope you like this chapter because we're almost at the wedding!_

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><p>The next day, Daniel had never had a work shift go so quickly in his life. Even with his entire day occupied by two out-patient bronchoscopies, three liver biopsies and a pancreatic insulin implant all he could think of was getting his vows right. The doctors he worked with let him practice saying them out loud, and he saw the other women in the operating rooms get all doe-eyed; Daniel was particularly thankful to the surgeon who did the liver biopsies, as he heard him practice it three times and on the third one gave him a heartfelt sigh and told him that Andrea was a lucky lady indeed.<p>

He was only ten minutes late leaving at the end of his shift, and forewent taking the subway in favour of a taxi to the Tesla Concorde which put him right on time to see Andrea sitting in the lobby with Lanie and her children. For a moment, he watched her through the glass of the hotel window and sighed. _This gorgeous woman is going to be my wife by this time tomorrow_, he thought which made his stomach do a giddy triple flip as he opened the door.

'Hey texty,' he said, and watched her face, just starting to round out with pregnancy, light up like a sun. 'I'm here, I made it on time.'

'Hey texty yourself,' Andrea replied, standing up and hugging him, kissing his cheek which elicited very different reactions from Carey and Violet.

'Yea moosh!' The little girl clapped her hands together while Carey wrinkled up his nose, asking, 'Why ev-ee-one like mooshin'? Whatta big deal?'

'Get used to it, pal,' Daniel chuckled, 'there's going to be a lot of it tomorrow, especially between Andrea and Daniel.'

'Yicky.'

'Congratulations you guys. Meredeth and Javi went by your place earlier today, they have your dress and your tux in the rooms, your overnight bags are all set to go. You're going home first between the hotel and the airport for your honey-moon, right?'

'Yep.' Andrea nodded even as scythe-wielding butterflies hacked at her insides in excitement. 'What time is Father Paolo set to be here?'

'Not until four-thirty, he's teaching a class at the seminary and then he'll be right over. Just about everyone else is here and waiting.'

'Mon, Daniel!' Violet slithered off her mother's lap as Lanie stood up and immediately, she grabbed Daniel's other hand. 'See pidy fowers.'

'Sounds like a plan, sweetie-pie.'

'Andrea? May I hold your hand?' Carey asked, suddenly feeling a little shy.

'Of course, Carey. You are such a gentleman to ask.'

The little boy's cheeks pinked up as he closed his fingers around Andrea's and the five of them walked through the grand and spacious hotel lobby to the doors marked 'Tesla Concorde Botanical Gardens - Special Events Entrance Only'. When they walked through the doors it felt like stepping through a portal into another world: the air was humid and heady with the tangled scents of soft ocean water and tropical greens. They walked along the marble footpath, down a little incline and through the roundabout past a gorgeous gurgling fountain.

'This will be where we all gather before the ceremony,' Andrea told Lanie, pointing to the fountain. 'Me and Meredeth and Kate and the ushers and Kevin. Then this will be the aisle up to our altar, and...oh, God isn't it just beautiful?'

The group stopped by the end of the rows of tropical greens to the open lagoon terrace - the muted grey marble sloped into a pool of crystal blue water while on the opposing wall was a soft trickling waterfall whose delicate, misty spray gave the bright Caribbean blooms and blossoms a dewy gloss. A table covered in a white satin cloth and a wooden pedestal were evenly spaced to form the altar for Father Paolo, while white chairs had been set up to form a half-circle arch and scattered amongst them now were all the usual suspects of the Twelfth Precinct. Amongst them were Dell and Kevin Ryan, and when the younger Ryan man caught sight of Andrea and Daniel having arrived, he scooted out from between the chairs like a bar of soap in a wet hand and raced over to greet them.

'Hello Andrea and Daniel and Baby! It's almost the wedding day!' He gave both of them a squeezing hug and grinned. 'I have my suit all picked out, it's very fancy, just like Daddy's.'

'Then you'll be the second-most handsome man tomorrow,' Andrea replied with a grin.

'Who wins first? Oh, right!' Dell gave his little head a tap. 'Silly Delaney.'

'Everything looks so beautiful,' Daniel said, looking around as Violet and Carey scampered off with Dell to go and look at the fish in the lagoon from a safe distance, then grinned when big Ryan approached them.

'Hey big daddy, tomorrow's the big day! And look at you, mama.' Ryan grinned, hovered a hand over Andrea's stomach which was just starting to show into a smooth arc. 'May I?'

'Of course.'

Ryan laid his palm on her belly and grinned. 'Hey in there, it's Uncle Kevin, and your mama and daddy are getting married tomorrow. I know you're still pretty tiny but you might wanna put your little fingers in your ears tomorrow night. It's probably going to be very noisy.'

'Should I hang a 'Do Not Disturb sign on my uterus?' Andrea laughed.

'Nah, she's a tough little nut, she'll know what to do.'

'You think it's a girl in there?' Daniel asked, rolling his tongue over his teeth.

'Call it a hunch.'

'There she is!'

They glanced over to see Meredeth flying down the aisle, grinning like a mad woman, Beckett and Honey-Milk hot her heels. She threw her arms around Andrea and the bride found herself at the centre of an all-girl group-hug. 'You're getting married tomorrow!'

'Hey, what about me?' Daniel pretended to be hurt. 'I'm getting hitched tomorrow too.'

'And you too. You want a hug?' Ryan asked with a cheeky grin, then looked over to see a burly block of a man with a crewcut like Daniel's and the same blue eyes. Though he and Ryan were roughly the same height, Ryan felt like the string-bean his partner occasionally called him.

'There's my baby boy,' he said in a voice with enough rumble to power a monster truck. He wrapped his thick arms around Daniel's midsection, reached up to give his face an affectionate little slap. 'You taking good care of your bride and my grand-foetus?'

'Of course, Pops.'

'Good, good. Now who is everyone?' he asked, looking around at the group.

'Stefan, I'd like you to meet our friends, this is Doctor Lanie Parrish-Robbins, Meredeth Esposito, Detective Kevin Ryan, Detective Kate Beckett and Jenny Ryan,' Andrea made the introductions. 'This is Daniel's father, Stefan.'

Hands were shaken and the couple went up to the front row of chairs to make more introductions with the father of the groom while the others hung back.

'They really have no idea what they're in for tomorrow, what you and your hubby have done, do they?' Lanie mused aloud and Beckett grinned.

'Don't say it too loud, they might hear the echo. And you're right, they don't,' Beckett shushed her, then laughed a little as she watched Daniel and Andrea give each other a tight squeezing hug. They were exactly what they should have looked like: a happy couple less than twenty-four hours from tying the knot.

By the time Father Paolo arrived, they went through the layout of the next day - who would walk down in what order, which passages of the Bible would be read and the other readings that would be done. With each step taken, more and more did Daniel's anticipation grow, anticipation he saw mirrored in Andrea's face. When Father Paolo suggested a fifth practice run, he'd put his foot down, saying that anymore practicing and they'd just want to skip the whole thing and be married there on the spot. Father Paolo had laughed and agreed they were well and ready for the ceremony the next day.

With the rehearsal itself concluded, the party adjourned to the private lounge that had been set aside for their rehearsal dinner; as Andrea had compromised on Italian for the wedding dinner, Daniel had been perfectly fine with leaving her to choose what they would have for their last dinner together as an engaged couple and it came as no surprise to him that she went with Mexican. Japanese food may have been her first and last culinary love, but Mexican was a well-kept mistress too. The little ones all got to try cheese enchiladas and soft tacos while the adults enjoyed spicier fare.

The toasts came tonight as well, from some most unexpected places. Javier Esposito gave a tiny little few sentences about falling in love and life surprising them in unexpected ways but knowing you had a lover and best friend to face the unexpected with made everything seem possible. There was also a lovely speech from Detective Ryan, who was speaking on behalf of the children in the room - with the exception of Rosie, Duncan and Kelley Mazzara all their babies had been delivered by Andrea and Daniel, so they were sending their own happy thoughts and 'ton-tat-u-li-shuns' as Tessi said when she stood up on her chair and announced it in the loudest voice she could manage. Finally there was one from Stefan Brick; like Esposito he wasn't big on speech-making but he said a lovely few words that included a little bit about Andrea's father being so proud of her for everything she'd accomplished. The gentle, kind words had everyone's tear-ducts backing up and at Mallory's table, she passed around napkins for everyone, making them all laugh. Finally Father Paolo gave a blessing for everyone, that he'd never seen such love in a self-made family as he did with this one.

When the dinner was winding down around nine, Daniel and Andrea found they had a little moment to themselves by the gorgeous stone fireplace of the private lounge. 'So, that was quite the day,' he murmured, breathing deep the scent of her hair. 'What do you feel like doing tomorrow?'

'I was thinking I'd put on this beautiful white dress I've been saving for a special occasion, and meet you by the waterfalls in the botanical gardens tomorrow, say around one-thirty?'

'Well, as it happens, I have a tuxedo for just such an occasion, and a ring to give you too.'

'What a coincidence, me too!' Andrea craned her neck back to kiss him, then laughed as Meredeth and Lanie came over.

'Sweetie, we've got some stuff to finish up before tomorrow. We should probably head upstairs so you can get a good night's sleep.'

'You're right.'

Andrea stood up from the chair then did a little spin for her fiance, realizing it was the last time she'd call him that; from now on, he'd be her husband. 'Take a good look. The next time you see me, I'll be all in white with some pretty pretty flowers.'

'Just make sure you look for the stud in the monkey suit, alright?' Daniel stood up with her, anxiously awaiting that time tomorrow when he could call her his wife. 'I love you, almost-Missus Brick.'

'Love you too, already-Mister Brick.'

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><p>R&amp;R&amp;Enjoy!<p> 


	29. Daniel's Morning

'Man, I could so use this footage as blackmail for the rest of my life.'

Daniel blinked in frustration at the sound of a familiar voice above his head; it took him a second to clue it in to belonging to Castle. When he opened his eyes he saw the handsome writer standing above his bed with the video camera in his hands. 'What are you talking about?' he groaned softly.

'Give it a moment.'

'What...' Daniel trailed off when he looked around and realized that it wasn't Andrea whom he was spooned up against but Esposito. His arm was flung over the cop's body, keeping him close and Esposito, ever the snuggly sleeper, was holding his elbow so that he wouldn't be going anywhere. 'Oh, God.'

'There it is,' Castle grinned, then turned it off, knowing that Esposito would stuff the camera up his ass if he awoke and Castle was rolling tape. Setting the vid-cam aside, he patted Daniel on the back as he sat up. 'Happy wedding day, bro!'

His stomach did a flip-flop. 'Oh, man, it really is, isn't it?'

'It really is. It's about eight-thirty, ish,' Castle said after a look at his watch, and there's going to be a lot of people coming through here before long, so you'll want to get up and get your shower. And if you're going to shave, it's only the body parts hidden by your tux. My guy's coming up here to give you and your groomsmen the full manly works.'

As Daniel had no idea what the hell Castle was talking about with 'the full manly works', and because he was so excited his stomach was threatening to revolt against him, he did as he was told and went into the hotel room's suite to let the boiling water cleanse away the stickiness of overnight sweat. As he rinsed shampoo from his scalp, the question of how Castle had gotten into the room in the first place vaguely wandered through his brain, but Daniel had more important things on his mind to worry about at the moment.

Wrapped in one of the hotel's thick and fluffy bathrobes, he emerged from the washroom to find Esposito awake and giving Castle hell while Sean and Ryan positioned a room-service cart.

'Seriously, bro, think about how wise it is to keep that in your possession. Daniel's a nurse anesthetist, he's got access to chemicals to make you look like you done-fell-over and died. Not to mention the fact I sleep with a gun.'

'There's no need to bring your wife into this,' Castle teased, twisting the top off a bottle of tequila and pouring a semi-shot into a glass of ice before filling it up with orange juice. Here we are, man of the hour.'

He handed Daniel the drink, not at all surprised when the man gulped it back. 'Alright, easy, tiger, don't want you sauced off your ass when you say your vows.'

'Are they the traditional churchy ones,' Sean inquired, loading a plate with scrambled eggs and hot sauce - his little brother's favourite. 'Or will you do your own?'

'We're doing something a little different for those. We are having traditional ones in the ceremony, but we...' Daniel trailed off on a little blush. 'We wrote each other a little poem to say at the reception.'

To his surprise, no one mocked him or made a jibing remark; instead Ryan grinned softly. 'That's so romantic, bro. Jenny and I did something similar for our one year anniversary.'

'Mere and I composed our own vows, and they were kinda like little poems. All you gotta remember bro, you're just talking to her,' Esposito reminded him, taking the coffee cup Castle passed him. 'You're telling her what she means to you.'

There was a knock on the door and Sean opened it to see Honey-Milk, Dell and Mallory on the other side. 'Mo-nin! Happy weddin'!' Mallory trilled. 'Where Daniel?'

'Over here, Mally.'

The little girl rushed over on her short legs and climbed right into Daniel's lap, kissing his cheek with a little _mwah_. 'No mudgie,' she said, poking him with the tip of her index finger. 'Daniel 'cited?'

'Very excited, and I bet you're going to look very pretty in your dress.'

'Tanks. O-kay, Mama, we go!'

'What a flirt,' Sean chuckled as Mallory toddled back over to her mother. 'Must be all that Irish charm.'

'I think she has seen me suh-pendin' too much time with my Tessi,' Dell said seriously, and poked his sister in the shoulder. 'You be-have, Mally. You are too little for fuh-lirtin' with the boys.'

'Dell, do you know what flirting even is?'

'Yes. It's like when I tell my Tessi that she has drawn a nice picture and she suh-miles and it makes me happy.'

'Close enough big guy. Give me a kiss.' Ryan crouched down, gave his son a tight, loud hug and noisy kiss before sending him and his sister along with Honey-Milk. 'You go check on Andrea and the baby for us men, okay?'

'O-kay, Daddy. See everyone soon!'

'Bye ev-ee-one!' Mallory added with a cheerful wave, not to be outdone by big brother.

The Ryan clan left and Daniel laughed as he sat down with his eggs. 'How do you do it?'

'Do what?'

'Be a cop and a father all at once?'

The men all shared knowing looks and this time it was Esposito who piped up around his mouthful of Western omelette. 'It's a learning curve, bro. You'll get there. But today's not the day for things like that. Todays' about getting on the monkey-suit and telling Andrea how much you love her.'

'You want a straw for that omelette, Detective?' Sean laughed.

'Nah, I'm good.'

There was another knock on the door, and this time when Castle answered, it was Gideon Meyers with his traveling case and his granddaughter Sosanna. 'Come on in, good to see you again.'

'And you my friend. I heard you are going to be a father-in-law in a little while? I shared the elevator up from the lobby with Doctor Weaver. He's a good man, perfect for Alexis.' Gideon set down his trunk, as did Sosanna. 'Now where is the man of the day?'

'Right here.' Esposito gulped down the last of his eggs and slapped Daniel heartily on the back. 'Wolf those groceries down, bro, you're in the hot seat now.'

'You're really milking this, aren't you?' Castle realized.

'Damn right.'

'Come, come, Sosanna, you're going to look after the noisy Puerto-Rican over there, and the fill-in father-of-the-bride.' Gideon opened up his trunk to reveal bottles and tubes and towels, and of course his case of silver filigreed straight razors. He patted the bucket-scoop chair, which was the perfect size for him to . 'I've got the groom and the best man here.'

The troops dispersed and in a few minutes, Daniel barely had time to think about anything except the feel of the hot towel against his skin, then the sweetly fragrant shaving cream and then the straight-razor against his skin.

'So, how long have you known your bride?'

'We work at the same hospital, different departments but our paths overlapped when one of the doctors pulled us both in to be on his labor team, like with delivering babies?'

'Ah, yes. Sosanna just had a little boy on December eighteenth, Nikolas Hiram Petrie.'

'We're having a baby too, but it's not the reason we're getting married. It's just the reason we're getting married sooner.'

'Oh?' Gideon was from a large family and had one himself, so he knew the many reasons and ways people got married and had babies, but this one wasn't one that had been featured much. 'So you are already engaged and decide to change the date so that you are married when you have the baby?'

'Exactly, though not by much. We made our baby celebrating the engagement.'

'Ah, the best kind of two-for-one deal, though I do believe Tierney's hot wings is a close second.'

Daniel laughed, and found that as Gideon did his thing, the edginess he was feeling began to ebb. The acting of preparing for the wedding, focusing on each task instead of letting everything get away from him, not only made him able to keep his breakfast down but also helped to make him less nervous so that he had some feeling in his knees. When Gideon was finished, he wiped down his face as gently as a man with an infant.

'There we are. Closest shave you'll get this side of Sweeney Todd.'

'Thank you, sir.'

Gideon slapped his shoulder, and Daniel stood up, went to look at his face in the mirror of the bathroom. It was indeed smooth as a baby's ass and he smelled...expensive, he decided. The fragrance of the oils and creams the barber had used reminded Daniel of his bachelor weekend in Atlantic City with his friends; rich and decadent and everything he wanted to be for his wife on their wedding day - the best possible version of himself. He looked at himself, studied his expression and gave a little laugh.

'You're getting married today, boyo,' he murmured to his reflection, 'to the sexiest, smartest, sweetest Irish lass you could ever hope to find on God's rolling green earth.

By noon, everyone but Ryan, Esposito and Sean had cleared out of the room and they were all in their tuxes and vests with Cozumel blue ascots and pocket-squares, save for Ryan; he'd decided to go with a vest and bow-tie so that he would have his own distinguished look as the father of the bride. He'd also put himself in charge of boutonnieres as he had the lightest touch of them all having given his son insulin injections since he was two and a half. Once he'd pinned the bright yellow frangipani to his partner's lapel, the delicate white hibiscus to Sean's and the pink orchid to his own, Ryan held up the snowy white rose for Daniel.

'This is it, man. Once I put this on you, you are officially dressed for your wedding. Think you can handle it?'

'Bring it.'

Ryan stepped over, fixed on the bloom to the groom's tuxedo jacket, then brushed at his shoulders, adjusted his collar. 'There. All set.'

'Thanks, bro.' Daniel held out his hand and slapped palms with Ryan, who promptly pulled him in for a bear-hug and a few seconds later, felt Esposito come over and wrap and arm around each of them. 'Right, enough of this, some one say something totally sexist before we all start sniffling like a bunch of sissies.'

'Bet Andrea's boobs are going to look awesome in her dress,' Sean commented, grinning with pride as he watched his baby brother. 'She's like three months now? They all look really hot at three months when they're pregnant.'

'Andrea's boobs always look hot,' Daniel corrected his brother, 'and thanks.'

The moment was concluded when a cellphone went off; it was Esposito's and he read the incoming text. 'Father Paolo just arrived downstairs, wants us to meet him in the gardens. Looks like it's that time.'

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><p>R&amp;R&amp;Enjoy<p> 


	30. Andrea's Morning

When Andrea awoke on the morning of her wedding, she wasn't at all surprised or embarrassed to find herself snuggled up beside Meredeth, the writer with her arm folded up and resting on top of Andrea's, her post-twins belly soft and squishy against the small of her back. Rolling over gently, nerves dancing in her belly, she tapped Meredeth's nose.

'No, Javi, lemme sleep, baby,' she mumbled, feebly batting at Andrea's hand.

'Do I look like the father of your babies?'

Meredeth's eyes flew open and remembered where she was with a crashing start. Her round face split into a grin and she gripped Andrea's shoulder in excitement. 'Andre! You're getting married today!'

'Yes I am!'

'How are you feeling?'

'Nervous but in the same way you get on Christmas morning, you know?'

'No,' Meredeth giggled as she sat up in the bed, 'I mean any morning sickness?'

'Oh, um, not yet. I think today I won't be able to blame any throwing up on the baby.'

'Well, either way, you're having breakfast. Lots of greens and fibre to clean you out so you don't need to go during the ceremony. Just trust me,' she said, holding up a hand off Andrea's slightly weirded-out look. 'Lanie did it to me, I'm just passing it along, as it were. Now, go get your shower. The others will be up here soon, and the babies want to come and wish you well.'

'Where's your herd?' Andrea asked, searching her overnight bag for her specially-purchased-for-the-wedding soaps and lotions.

'The twins are with Rosalita and Alejandro, they were more than a little excited to take the bubs for the weekend. They love to spoil them rotten, and Tessi had a sleepover with her _prima_ Rosie in Lili and Cam's room.'

'Guess you and Javi can't really make use of your hotel room good and proper, huh?'

Meredeth laughed. 'Oh, you and your horny little preggo brain. Go get your shower.'

Andrea gave an excited little wiggle and when she went into the bathroom, saw her body as she stripped off her pyjamas. The look of her belly was just starting to change, from being a little wiggly line of silhouette to one single arc. The sight of it made her so excited to see, to really feel and understand there was a little human growing inside her body. Thinking of the baby, of Daniel, the night she agreed to marry him which was also the night they'd made their baby, had her hugging her body in pure joy.

'You are getting married today, Andrea,' she said aloud to herself, 'to your sweet, smart, sexy superhero.'

She tended that body with its precious cargo with the utmost care in the shower, and twenty minutes later, she emerged to see Meredeth was in the parlour of the honey-moon suite with a breakfast cart and was loading up a plate of eggs, bacon and a bowl of oatmeal thick enough to mortar bricks, and Lanie had joined her along with Alexis who looked very refreshed and relaxed for so early in the morning it could mean only one thing.

'Morning, ladies,' she greeted them, and they both looked up, cheering at her entrance.

'It's the bride! Happy wedding day!'

'Look at you, Andrea, you're glowing!' Lanie smiled, glad to see her friend looking so happy after everything she'd been through. Some women would have been absolutely destroyed by the week she and Daniel had faced - a murder investigation, the dissolution of her ties to her blood kin, abduction and a fist fight with her captor and discovering she was carrying her lover's baby - but Andrea the Amazon weathered it with her gentle grace and quiet confidence. And now here she was, thirteen weeks pregnant and getting ready for her wedding. 'Sweetie, you want some tea or some juice?'

'Got anything with some fizz?'

'You betcha.' Alexis twisted the cap off a bottle of Perrier, poured it into a glass with ice and a lime wedge. 'Mom said when she was pregnant with RJ, the bubbles helped settle her stomach.'

'Now, it's about eight-thirty, everything is set in the ballroom for the reception, including the picture of you and Daniel together, they did find that easel to put it on,' Meredeth assured Andrea as she dug into the oatmeal. 'Fatima and her people will be here shortly, so Andrea, you and I are going to get you hooked into your wedding-dress undergarments and dry your hair.'

Having given the girls in the room their marching orders, Andrea watched Meredeth walk into the bedroom of the suite and pulled the lingerie from Andrea's garment bag. 'I know you can probably do this yourself, but it's your wedding day, sweetie,' she told the bride, 'and of all the women I've met, no one deserves to be pampered and fussed over like you. Just don't tell them I said that, okay?'

'Your secret's safe with me.'

* * *

><p>Four hours later, Andrea was standing nervously in the middle of the suite parlour with all the ladies who'd been at her bachelorette party. Her hair and make-up were done and she'd moved her engagement ring to her opposite hand already; she hadn't realized how comfortable its weight had become until she'd put it on her other finger. Now she was sitting in the chair with her robe unbelted and rubbing her hand over her belly where her baby was growing, wondering what all these girls had in store for her.<p>

'We couldn't let you get married without your something old, new, borrowed and blue,' Alexis said, passing her a bag. 'So this is from Lanie and I.'

'Oh, my goodness!' Andrea gasped at the new sparkling dangly earrings, and fastened them on so the little thin ropes of shining stones winked in the light every time she moved her head. 'Thank you so much!'

'Any time, sweetie. We'll see you down there.'

When Lanie and Alexis were gone, Lili was up next. 'Here. Mere used this on her wedding too, and she's had a happy marriage with three healthy babies, so it might be a little bit of a good luck charm for you too, as your something borrowed.'

'This is beautiful, Lili, thank you.' Andrea removed the delicate garter from the box with its threaded blue ribbon, put it on immediately, and grinned when Lili kissed her forehead.

'Congrats again, Andrea, you'll be just gorgeous up there.'

She looked around, saw Honey-Milk there with a velvet jewelery box too. 'I was Christmas shopping back in December after you and Daniel made the announcement to move the ceremony up and I found this in an antique store. I hope you like it.'

Andrea lifted the lid on the box and wanted to weep when she saw the old-fashioned hair accessories that would have come straight from pre-war Japan. Both were lacquered bamboo, one with a little blue stone that perfectly matched the bridesmaids dresses and the other fashioned with swirling spirals of blue stone and gold inlay.

'The lady said these would have been worn by actual Japanese geisha in the twenties and thirties, and I figured since you're a big buff on Japanese culture, you'd get a kick out of them.'

'Jenny, I...I don't know what to say, all of this is just so overwhelming.'

'You deserve to be happy, Andrea,' Honey-Milk told her eagerly and honestly. 'I'll see you at the altar.'

Along now with her bridesmaid and her maid of honour, Andrea looked up at them. 'Well, I guess it's that time, I get to put on my wedding dress now.'

'You do indeed.'

They followed her like an honour guard into the bedroom to help her take the dress out of the bag; Beckett helped her fasten on the ballerina slippers with the jeweled ankle straps while Meredeth zipped her up in back. Surprisingly, Andrea hadn't started to show all that much - something she knew would change shortly - and there had been only a few minor detail alterations to go over with Margha. But when Andrea went to turn and see herself in the full length mirror, Meredeth waved her hands.

'No, no, not yet! We have to give you your something borrowed yet.'

Beckett grinned, and walked over to the bag she'd brought with her, drew out the veil she'd lent to Meredeth for her wedding. 'This was my mother's veil, when she married my dad. Both of us know what it's like to lose a parent and wish with all your might that they were there to see you get married,' she told the bride softly. 'We thought this might help make you feel better about it.'

'Oh...oh, God, I think I'm gonna cry.'

'Javi plucks his eyebrows for special occasions,' Meredeth said without turning an eyelash; it wasn't true in the slightest but it had the desired effect - Andrea's eyes cleared instantly and she began to laugh instead. 'Now, let's go put you in that dress.'

Ten minutes later, after tugging and zipping and pinning, Andrea stood in front of the mirror in the suite, admiring the reflection she saw. Her hair was in what she though of as a Juliet-renaissance style - soft and flowing down her back with two small braids beginning at her temples that met at the back of her head and trailed into the rest of the style. With the addition of Beckett's mother's veil, she felt even more like a fairy princess, the length of silk flowing beneath her auburn locks. She'd fastened on the long earrings and had left her throat naked. Her dress as a dream, the white-pearl satin with its dropped ballgown skirt and off-shoulder bateau neckline making her feel like the most special woman in the world.

'Oh, Andrea.' Beckett's eyes sparkled with a little sheen of tears. 'You look radiant.'

'I feel so special right now. Thank you,' she said with a wobble in her voice. 'Thank you both for everything.'

'Here.' Meredeth passed her the bouquet that had surprisingly been the thing Andrea had agonized over the most: a gorgeous blossoming waterfall of white roses, yellow frangipani, pink orchids and white hibiscus. 'Now you look ready.'

Andrea gave herself one last glance in the mirror, murmuring softly, 'I'm a bride, Daddy,' which had both Beckett and Meredeth sniffling a little.

'Castle sings Lady Gaga in the shower,' Beckett offered helpfully, making the bride laugh.

'Why am I not surprised?'

Meredeth's iPhone went off and she read the incoming text. 'Ryan's ready for us in the lobby.'

The women left the honey-moon suite and headed for the elevator, everyone they passed giving them gooey, doe-eyed looks; Andrea even heard one girl of about six ask her mother if Andrea was a princess. When they reached the lobby, all three women felt a little ripple at seeing cutie-pie Ryan in a tux; it made his piercing blue eyes look like laser beams. He broke into a smile when he saw the women approach.

'There's herself, lovely as a lily,' he said, giving Andrea's cheek a little kiss. 'There's a dude in a tux on the other side of that door very anxious to see you.'

He offered Andrea his arm and she felt a surge of excitement. 'Then let's not keep him waiting.'

* * *

><p>R&amp;R&amp;Enjoy!<p> 


	31. Wedding by the Waterfall

_Hello everyone! So glad to see you have given these original Crumbsian characters so much love! This story has, at the time of this publishing, received 110 reviews, just 5 less than the Caskett Crumbsian wedding and 10 off the Meresposito wedding! It really means a lot to me that you love these characters so much! Also, prepare to cry!_

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><p>The air inside the botanical gardens was heady and fragrant, utterly delicious and perfectly romantic for a wedding. For a moment, it was possible to forget that the ceremony was taking place on February twenty-first, Andrea thought, if you weren't her or Daniel. She walked cautiously down the marble path on Ryan's arm.<p>

'I remember the day Jenny came home and told me you and Daniel we officially engaged,' he told her, not at all surprised at her fingers nervously clenching and unclenching against his bicep.

'Really?'

'Yeah. She was so excited, and then she told the kids, and they were just as excited. Dell asked if he was going to have to wear a suit again, and Mally was thrilled to get to wear a dress. She's such a girlie-girl.'

'The morning after we went Christmas tree hunting, those two and Tessi came to wake me and Daniel up in the guest room, and Dell was irritated when I said he for-sure had to wear a suit.'

'He loves weddings but getting dressed up isn't his bag. Hell, half the time when we go swimming he'd rather go skinny-dipping.'

Andrea laughed, then felt her breath hitch as they reached the fountain, saw all four members of the wedding party; the women were in Cozumel blue and the men in tuxes with ties to match the dresses, along with Lanie who wore a beautiful amethyst dress, her long dark hair straight and flowing over her shoulders. The bride felt her stomach tighten up once more - the agreed upon signal for the processional song to begin playing was once Lanie walked up the aisle and took her seat with Dave, who was standing with Daniel while he waited for everyone to arrive.

Lanie, having been a bride herself and recognizing the look in Andrea's eyes, came over and gave her a warm hug. 'Hey girl, you look so beautiful. You ready for this? You have your vows?'

'We're doing traditional ones for the ceremony, and Meredeth and Sean both have the rings.'

'Okay. Looks like it's time to get this party started.'

'Oh, oh boy,' Andrea laughed, 'this is really it.'

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><p>Daniel stood up at the altar, fidgeting nervously with his hands as he looked out to see everyone in their dressed-up clothes. He could see his father and his long-time friend Jana there, looking like they might burst with pride, Andrea's friends from Japan Haiko and Ando, and of course Castle. The realization that a celebrity like Richard Castle was attending his wedding as a personal friend made his throat tighten up even more and he fought the urge to tug on his tie.<p>

'Damn thing feels like a noose,' he grumbled, which made Dave laugh. 'I don't think I've ever worn a tie this tight before.'

'Once you see her, it's the easiest thing in the world.'

'You sure?'

'I've been married once, a best man twice and an usher four times, trust me.'

'Okay.' Daniel blew out a breath, then sucked it right back in when Lanie walked down the centre aisle of chairs to sit with Carey and Violet. 'That's the cue.'

'Relax, you'll be great, bro.'

Dave gave his friend a supportive clap on the shoulder, then took his seat with his wife and children, and Daniel thought he might faint as he heard the acoustic guitar start to play the song he and Andrea had chosen for their wedding music - in keeping with an island feel, they'd decided on Jack Johnson's _Better Together_, and everyone was surprised to hear that Shane Weaver, of all people had volunteered to play for them; though Shane was a very talented guitar player and singer, he was terribly shy about performing in public. He watched as Beckett and Esposito walked down the aisle with linked arms, then Meredeth and Sean, and Daniel watched as everyone turned and stood to see Ryan escorting Andrea down the aisle.

His heart gave an extra hard thump of pure love for his bride. She looked like an angel, Daniel thought, with the long veil floating behind her like wings; in her hands was a waterfall of tropical flowers - white hibiscus, delicate yellow frangipani, shell pink orchids. As she drew near, he could smell that ineffable scent of her - shea butter and key-lime basil. It was comfort and seduction all in one, as she was.

When they stopped at the altar, Ryan turned to Andrea, kissed her cheek. 'Congratulations, Andrea. You and Daniel were meant for each other,' he said softly as Father Paolo began to speak.

'Friends and family, we have come together on this day to witness and celebrate the union of Andrea Darcy Hermione Hennessey and Daniel Josiah Brick. Who presents this woman to this man?'

'I present this woman, my friend and sister, to this man, my friend and brother,' Ryan replied, taking her hand from his arm and placing it in Daniel's.'

The feel of Daniel's hand, so soft and steady closing gently around hers, somehow made all of Andrea's nerves disappear as the priest continued to speak.

'It is always a blessing when two lives come together, forging a bond as Andrea and Daniel have, with love and support in both the light and the dark. From that love and support comes new life which Andrea and Daniel have created in love and that child will know what it means to be cherished from its very debut in its mother's womb. Many people take the privilege of family for granted, but as everyone here knows and loves Andrea and Daniel so well, they understand that family is a blessing, whether you are born into it or whether it finds you.'

The priest nodded at Beckett, who moved to stand beside Father Paolo and read the bible passage they'd selected. 'The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.'

'There is no better foundation for a long and happy marriage than that of love, the love shared by Daniel and Andrea, and the love they share with their family. True there are other things that are required, like respect and support and trust, but when they are accompanied with love, those other things fall into place so naturally it's often what makes a marriage seem seamless. And on the days when you are finding it very difficult to like your partner, and you ask yourself 'what am I doing', you know you have the right one when you answer, 'because I love you'.'

Now everyone stood, and they took out the little printed copies of the lyrics to _Better Together_ and as they joined in with Shane singing, the true meaning of the words they said hit home - Andrea and Daniel had certainly faced some rocky moments but they'd stuck with each other because they were undeniably and permanently in love with each other. They took the time during the song to sign the wedding registry, with Meredeth and Sean as the official witnesses on paper, though they considered everyone there an official witness. As the last sounds of the song drifted away and they were left only with the sound of the trickling waterfall, Andrea gave Daniel an excited little smile and he responded with a wink that had her hormones skipping joyfully deep inside.

'At this time, we will now hear the exchange of vows between Andrea and Daniel,' Father Paolo announced.

Daniel watched as Andrea handed her bouquet over to Meredeth and slipped that other beautifully delicate yet strong hand into his. It was her hands he'd first fallen for, and as he stood there holding them now, he had no idea why he'd been so nervous in the first place.

Father Paolo took the white silk scarf from around his shoulders, wound it three times around their joined hands.

'Daniel please repeat after me.'

'I, Daniel...take you Andrea as my wife...my one true love and best friend...in sickness and health...in hills and valleys...in laughter and tears...to raise our child and make a family with you...as long as we both shall live...this is the promise I make to you today.'

'Andrea, please repeat after me.'

'I, Andrea...take you Daniel as my husband...my one true love and best friend...in sickness and health...in hills and valleys...in laughter and tears...to raise our child and make a family with you...as long as we both shall live...this is the promise I make to you today.'

As the bride and groom continued to stare into each other's eyes, the sniffles were audible and both Andrea and Daniel heard all members of their wedding parties subtly trying to clear their throats as Sean stepped over to give the final reading.

'Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love. We love, because He first loved us.'

'As witnesses to these vows,' Father Paolo said in follow up to Sean's reading, 'we are honour-bound to be harbingers of the ever-lasting love that has been pledged on this day. Please turn to your neighbour and wish him or her good tidings so they may go forth and spread the joy of these two souls uniting as one.'

There was a soft ripple of noise as the small congregation turned to each other to murmur 'peace be with you, and also with you' before taking their seats and focusing on the last part of the ceremony, and everyone's favourite - the exchange of the rings. Meredeth and Sean each passed Andrea and Daniel the appropriate band as Father Paolo spoke the blessing.

'The marriage ring represents the love Daniel and Andrea share, for just as a circle has no beginning or end, so love endures. Andrea.'

Andrea picked up the ring - the gold band from Maison Bijou with its Celtic love-knot etching - and slipped it onto Daniel's finger. 'I give you this ring, Daniel, as a promise and symbol of my everlasting love, trust, and commitment to you. I love you.'

'Daniel.'

Daniel slipped the ring onto Andrea's finger, this time much easier than their engagement as he already knew the answer to the question. 'I give you this ring, Andrea, as a promise and symbol of my everlasting love, trust, and commitment to you. I love you.'

'These words of love have been spoken and now we ask the Almighty Father to bless this holy union with our prayers.' Father Paolo led them through the 'Our Father', adding at the end, 'Lord, our Father, bless this marriage of Andrea and Daniel, that no man may tear asunder what you have brought together. Guide them as they embark on the journey of marriage and parenthood and a lifetime of happiness and love.'

He cleared his throat momentarily, and concluded the ceremony. 'By the power vested in me by the Holy Church and the great State of New York, I pronounce that you are husband and wife. You may kiss your bride.'

The crowd watched with giddy excitement as Daniel pulled Andrea close and kissed her in a way worthy of Bogart and Bergman, and they began to applaud joyfully as Father Paolo announced, 'Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you Daniel and Andrea Brick.'

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><p>R&amp;R&amp;Enjoy<p> 


	32. Family Photo Time

As she drew back from her first kiss with her husband, Andrea let out a squeaky, wheezing guffaw of a laugh, the one that usually embarrassed but that Daniel loved to hear.

'Oh my god, we're married, my gorgeous hubby!'

'Damn right, my sexy wife.' Daniel grinned widely at his wife, his own jubilation mirrored in her face. 'And you sound so adorable when you laugh like that.'

'So you say, I think I sound like an asthmatic dolphin.'

'I think you sound like my wife.'

Andrea's stomach flippy-flopped in delight. 'Now I like the sound of my husband talking about me like that.'

Daniel kissed her again and waited patiently while Andrea collected back her bouquet from Meredeth, and they walked back down the aisle formed by the chairs to gather at the fountain, with Sloan Machado who had agreed to be their wedding photographer; she'd been taking shots throughout the ceremony, silent as a ghost and discreet as a priest in confessional. She'd donned one of her trademark bohemian outfits - a flowing white peasant skirt with a funky silver top and matching accessories, and in her hands was her beloved Canon Rebel. She tucked a strand of glossy black hair behind her ear and lifted the camera.

'Okay, guys, these are the more formal ones, we'll do them before everyone gets in here and wants to take their shots.'

They posed in the traditional, formal ways then made it their own by having Daniel and Andrea both pose like The Green Lantern - one of Daniel's favourite DC heroes - and then pretend he was going to dump her into the fountain; they naturally went for a racy one, as well, where they turned to face the fountain and groped each other's behinds. When they turned back around, they saw their wedding party there, grinning in just as much foolish excitement.

'Congratulations, you guys!' Esposito came over, gave them each a huge bear hug. 'Don't know what you were so nervous about, Daniel, you made it through in one piece.'

'It was beautiful ceremony, you guys, and the location was just great,' Beckett added, getting her own hugs in before Hurricane Meredeth swept in; there was a girl who loved the big, juicy bone-squishing hugs.

'Yeah, you almost feel like you wanna go up to your room, change into your bikini and hit the surf and sand, right?'

Andrea's standard response to such a comment - who would want to see this in a bikini - didn't even get a chance to make a dent, such was the level of her happiness on this day. She was married to the most wonderful man in the universe, and having a baby with him. It was a pretty sweet deal all the way around. 'Now that would have been something. I could have worn a snow-white two piece. Oh, better yet, we could have had the ceremony underwater while scuba diving and then you guys could have been up on a glass-bottom boat!'

'Girl, you are all kinds of good-crazy,' Meredeth laughed, wrapping her arms around Andrea and rocking gently back and forth. 'That was just so gorgeous, and that's just part one! There's still a yummy dinner, and dancing to be had!'

Andrea laughed along with her friend, and as Daniel saw her face he made a silent little prayer that he would try to make her as happy as she was today every day. He looked down at his hands and wiggled his fingers excitedly. He had the greatest woman in the world for his wife now and nothing and no one would ever make her feel like less than that ever again.

'Okay, now that we have the whole wedding party here, let's get some photos done while we have that gorgeous light coming through the windows,' Sloan suggested.

'Oh, can we do just the girls first?' Andrea asked, and the photographer looked at her like she'd sprouted angel wings.

'It's your wedding photos, honey, you get whatever you want right now.'

'Good.'

Andrea tugged on Meredeth and Beckett's wrists, sat on the edge of the fountain with them, an arm around each of their waists to hug them tight. 'I'm so glad you were up there with me,' she told them earnestly after Sloan had snapped the first photo.'

'Aw, what a little shmellow.' Meredeth leaned her head on Andrea's shoulder, and Beckett did the same, making Andrea laugh. 'Nurse Marshmellow Brick.'

'That's irony for you,' Beckett commented. 'Now a sexy one.'

'Don't be stingy, show some leg,' Daniel teased them in his hilariously fake German accent.

Then men all watched as the girls hoisted their skirts up to show off three very different legs - Beckett's long and lean with muscle, Meredeth's long and shapely with subtle power, and Andrea's, long and slim with well-defined calves thanks to years of swimming and diving. For Daniel's money, the first two paled in comparison to his wife, as he'd seen what those legs attached to; no other woman came close to her lush, curvy beauty.

Once all the pictures for the girls were done, the men had their fun, mugging and flex; Sean even had a couple of Cuban cigars, but out of respect for his pregnant wife, Daniel knew his was for a prop only. The last thing he'd do was have even the fumes of second-hand smoke around their baby.

'That's okay, Daniel, Dad will love it,' his brother told him. 'I don't want my niece or nephew addicted to nicotine before she or he has eyelids.'

'Yeah, Ryan would bring a change of clothes to go home in from poker night if we had the stogies out,' Esposito remembered. 'I thought it was overkill, but then, I wasn't the expectant daddy then. Now I understand it perfectly.'

'Same with Stacey,' Sean added helpfully, tucking his own Cuban into his breast pocket. 'I didn't like drinking around her because we both love a nice bottle of wine and it just seemed cruel. Well, it's a little different, but you get what I mean.'

'Yes, I believe I do.'

'Hope you have all the shots you want, you two,' Meredeth told the happy couple, 'because I do believe there is a pint-sized tornado headed your way.'

Daniel and Andrea heard it too, and a few seconds later, they saw Dell, Carey, Tessi, Violet, Mallory, RJ, Rosie and Duncan toddling up the marble walkway to the fountain. They all looked so precious, Daniel couldn't wait for his own baby to be that size to have fun dressing him or her up in cute clothes. The boys were all in little black and grey suits with bow-ties and the girls were in their party dresses with ribbons in their hair.

'Ton-ta-tu-la-tions An-duh-ree,' Tessi said, proud of her better pronunciation of the bride's name. 'You and Daniel ve-wee happy.'

'Hap-py,' Rosie agreed. 'You are muy lindy.'

'Lindy?'

'Mean pidy in 'Panish,' Tessi explained. 'She billy-gal, like me.'

'That means she knows how to say two languages.' Carey knew this from listening to his daddy, and he scrunched up his green eye in an adorable little wink. 'Me an' Violet learnin' Ital-i-an, too.'

'Tally,' Violet added helpfully and immediately toddled over with Mallory to admire Daniel in his suit. 'Daniel han-some.'

'Handsome.' Mallory nodded in agreement.

'We fan-cy,' Duncan declared, clapping his hands; RJ not to be outdone, added, 'Happy day! Annie pidy like Less.'

'And I know for a fact, there's no better compliment you'd give a lady.' Daniel pursed his lips, gave RJ a manly nod.

'How is the baby feeling today?' Dell asked, more than content to let all the younger children go first. He was the oldest, he knew, and he had to set an example for them. 'Was it very excited that mama and daddy got married today? Can you feel it moving yet?'

'No sweetie, not yet,' Andrea laughed. 'He or she is still very little, about that big,' she showed him, holding her fingers about three inches apart, 'but you know what?'

'What?'

'He or she already has fingerprints.'

Dell's eyes went round. 'Really? He or she has been very busy inside your belly.'

'When he or she here?' Tessi asked, examining the pretty woman's body. 'Tum no' too big.'

'Now, he or she won't be here until August.'

'That my bee-day!' Violet trilled excitedly. 'Au-gus' six.'

'That's right, Violet, you are born on August six,' Carey praised her.

The way the children chattered to each other made Daniel grin; it was so life affirming to be reminded of the fact that their baby would find excellent friends and company in these little ones. When he glanced up, saw his father watching all of them, he addressed all the young'uns once more.

'Thank you very much, all of you for coming and saying congratulations, but we have other guests who want to do the same thing.'

'Time fo' a pisher?' Tessi asked hopefully, her blue eyes round as marbles.

'I think that's an excellent idea,' Andrea replied.

'Okay, I do it!' Dell, the self-appointed ring-leader by default of being the oldest, showed them all where to go. 'Andrea, you are having a baby, you need to sit on the edge of the fountain. Daniel you be beside her. Now, Tessi, you go here and RJ, you go beside Tessi, then me and Mally over here, Rosie and Duncan right in the middle here.'

When they were all arranged, Daniel saw RJ fidgeting a little, even looking a little sad. 'What's wrong, little bro?'

'No Leo. No Tee-nee. No' fair.'

'Oh, I'm sorry, little dude. But you know what, they're very little. They don't know that it's a party going on, they would just know it's big and loud and noisy, which might scare them.'

'Wan' dance Tee-nee.'

At this admission, Daniel felt sympathy well in his heart for the boy. 'That's a sweet thought, RJ, but she can't even sit up on her own yet-'

'She tie, she 'mart.'

'Be that as it may, there's going to be plenty of times you'll get to dance with Trini when you're both big enough.'

'O-kay,' RJ said with so much resignation in his voice, Tess, who had heard the whole conversation leaned over to him and gave him a hug with a little 'mm' sound.

'I dance wit RJ, o-day?'

'Tanks, Tessi.'

'After me,' Dell declared; to neither adult's surprise, there was no small amount of jealousy in the boy's tone. 'Me and Tessi are gonna dance together first.'

'Tessi gull-fin, that fair,' RJ agreed.

Andrea and Daniel looked at each other, chuckled a little bit. 'I always knew this lot had their own society with very exclusive membership,' she laughed.

'Like their own version of Skull and Bones. Only this would be more like Apple-Juice and Crayons.'

'Well, I hope it doesn't take up the whole afternoon,' Sloan said with a wink. 'I think there's just a little bit of a surprise waiting for you at the reception.'

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><p>R&amp;R&amp;Enjoy!<p> 


	33. Best Wedding Gift Ever

_Hello everyone! So here we are at the big wedding surprise! Hope you love it! I was almost in tears writing it so take a tissue just in case!_

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><p>It was stepping out of the tropics and into a winter country-side lodge, Daniel thought as he and Andrea headed into the ballroom for their reception. The tables had all been covered with Cozumel blue tablecloths, and atop each one was a mixture of yellow frangipani, pink orchids and white hibiscus with glossy floral greens. The tables were arranged in a horseshoe that opened onto the dance-floor and the small stage set up for the DJ made the fourth edge of the formation. The bar had been set up by the wood-burning fireplace so that those who wanted a drink and perhaps a more intimate chat away from the noise of the dance could do so without having to leave the ballroom.<p>

For Andrea, there was one feature in particular that stood out to her - beside the table discreetly filled with brightly-wrapped wedding gifts was the picture of her and Daniel. Esposito had suggested it to Daniel on his bachelor party weekend, that instead of doing a guest book they would rarely look at, he and Andrea should do was Esposito and Meredeth had done and enlarge a picture, then have the guests sign the matting instead. Daniel and Andrea had decided on the picture of themselves they'd taken on one of their diving trips together, this one in Bermuda when they'd explored Pollockshields off of Elbow Beach. It was the trip when Daniel had known that Andrea was the one he was going to marry, and he'd asked the dive-guide to take an underwater picture of them kissing for a few seconds.

'Hey, check this out.' Andrea was over at the gift table, examining the packages and pointed to a few little ones. 'Look at these, they are from the children for the baby.'

'What?'

'Yeah, look, see there's a little card on this one it says 'congratulations baby on your mama and daddy's wedding. Hugs and mooshes, Dell. There's a bunch of them like that.'

Daniel could only laugh, and he wrapped his arms around Andrea, his wife, from behind. 'We are so blessed, Andrea Darcy.'

'We are indeed Daniel Josiah.'

The peace they enjoyed as they were the first ones in the room did not last long - the DJ had arrived to get his station ready for the pre-dinner hour, as had the bartenders and the servers were in the room as well, having a look around at the space to get an idea of what they were going to be facing with this particular event, and the first guests were coming in to take their seats. When Andrea saw it was her friends from Tokyo, she rushed over to them, dipped her head in the gesture of an informal bow and began to speak in nearly flawless Japanese. The sound of it had Daniel's blood swimming in his head a little; he'd always found her speaking her second language to be one of his top five turn-ons, and so he began to mentally spell the full biochemical name of all the anesthetics he used until Andrea put her hand on Daniel's bicep which brought him back to Earth.

'Daniel, you remember Haiko and Ando from the rehearsal dinner?'

'Of course, and I've heard so many wonderful stories from Andrea about you.'

Haiko grinned widely, spoke in a smooth alto voice. 'And you as well, Daniel-san,' she replied. 'Andrea said that you and she are going to go to Greece for your honey-moon?'

'Yeah, we're going to Athens for four days and then we're going on a cruise around the islands.'

'That sounds lovely.' Beside his wife, Ando grinned in loving reminiscence. 'Haiko and I, our wedding date fell at the end of filming the location shoot for _Bermuda Rising Tides_, so the wrap party became our dinner and then we had a Western-style wedding the following day.'

It took Daniel a moment to compute Western meant North-American and not like a rodeo-theme. 'That sounds beautiful.'

'I think there is someone over there trying to get your attention.'

Andrea glanced in the direction of Ando's pointing finger to see Alexis and Shane with RJ by the gift table. 'Oh, my. I think we found the source of the baby gifts,' she chuckled, then slipped her hand into Daniel's. 'Come on, hubby, let's go see what they're up to.'

'Hi Annie! Hi Daniel! Hi Baby!' RJ waved excitedly. 'Dancin' soon?'

'Soon. We have to have dinner first.'

'Pizza! Yum-yum-yum!'

'This boy loves Italian food,' Alexis chuckled, 'he wanted to see if there was any early pizza, and then we stopped to check out the gifts.'

'Me dee-ah,' the boy said proudly, getting a nod of approval from Shane.

'It was indeed. Lex and I were shopping for your weddnig gift and RJ said the baby needed a present too for his mommy and daddy tying the knot. Then he told Dell and Mallory when they visited, and Mallory told Violet when _they_ visited, and it snowballed from there,' he laughed. 'RJ's quite proud his idea caught on, and that he scooped Dell for being the ringleader for once.'

'I firs'.' RJ jabbed his chest with his thumb, then stepped forward, gave Andrea's skirt a little tug. 'Annie, moosh peas?'

'Sure, big guy.' Andrea knelt down and turned RJ the same colour as his sister's hair when she planted a loud smack kiss on his cheek, followed by a little one. 'That second one is for Trini, but you hang onto it okay?'

'O-kay. 'Mon Less, 'Mon Shin.'

RJ took one each of Alexis and Shane's hands and walked them over to find their table, making Daniel laugh. 'So, if we have a girl, can we pretty much expect one of these Twelfth Precinct Boys to fall in love with her too?'

'I think that's a given regardless of gender. We could have a boy one of the girls falls for.'

'Hey, what's this?'

Daniel watched everyone take their seats as the DJ and two other men went up on stage, one of whom looked very familiar but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. It gnawed at him as Richard Castle went over, took the microphone from the DJ as the other men took their place.

'Good evening everyone, my name is Richard Castle, and I was asked to be the MC for this wonderful day.' Castle beamed at the happy couple, but he forced himself to get out his little speech. 'We're doing things a little different wedding, as usually the first dance would be after we've all had dinner and a few cocktails, but this particular one, we have a little surprise for the bride and groom.'

He stepped off the stage, brought Andrea and Daniel out to the centre of the dance-floor, then moved back to the edge to stand with Beckett while he spoke.

'So at each of the weddings in our little renegade family, there has always been a little surprise, but I think this is going to be the one that breaks the mold. To perform one of his signature songs for the bride and groom's first dance, ladies and gentlemen the one and only Bruno Mars.'

Both Daniel and Andrea could only stare in shock as the famous singer-songwriter stepped forward on the small stage and spoke in his musical voice.

'This one goes out to the newlyweds, Andrea and Daniel, from all your brothers and sisters, this is for you.'

He gave the guitarist the beat and the familiar melody of the song drifted through the speakers as Daniel took his beautiful wife in his arms, pulled her close.

_Oh her eyes, her eyes_  
><em>Make the stars look like they're not shining<em>  
><em>Her hair, her hair<em>  
><em>Falls perfectly without her trying<em>

'Did you know about this?' Andrea murmured, trying to fight the deep-running emotions this song always brought out every time she heard it.

_She's so beautiful_  
><em>And I tell her every day<em>

'Not a clue, my sweet.' Daniel inclined his head slightly, sniffing deep that familiar scent of her. 'Not a damn clue.'

_Yeah I know, I know_  
><em>When I compliment her<em>  
><em>She wont believe me<em>  
><em>And its so, its so<em>  
><em>Sad to think she don't see what I see<em>

_But every time she asks me do I look okay_  
><em>I say<em>

As the chorus hit, Andrea let the tears spill over gracefully as Daniel and his truly awful singing voice began to softly accompany the award-winning artist.

_When I see your face_  
><em>There's not a thing that I would change<em>  
><em>Cause you're amazing<em>  
><em>Just the way you are<em>  
><em>And when you smile,<em>  
><em>The whole world stops and stares for awhile<em>  
><em>Cause girl you're amazing<em>  
><em>Just the way you are<em>

'I love you Daniel,' she whispered, kissing his cheek as they moved in time with the music. 'My husband, my love, and my best friend.'

Daniel grinned, then covered her mouth gently with his, savouring the taste of her. 'I love you too, Andrea.'

_Her lips, her lips_  
><em>I could kiss them all day if she'd let me<em>  
><em>Her laugh, her laugh<em>  
><em>She hates but I think its so sexy<em>

_She's so beautiful_  
><em>And I tell her every day<em>

'You're going to look so hot in a bikini on our honey-moon,' he told her, 'preggo belly and all.'

'I can't wait to see the photos. I thought I'd be a little nervous about how I'd look, but now that I 'm actually starting to look like I'm having a baby, I'm so excited to show it off.'

_Oh you know, you know, you know_  
><em>Id never ask you to change<em>  
><em>If perfect is what you're searching for<em>  
><em>Then just stay the same<em>

_So don't even bother asking_  
><em>If you look okay<em>  
><em>You know I say<em>

By this point in the song, neither Daniel or Andrea spoke, they just let themselves drift in the moment, carried away by the words that meant so much to them.

_When I see your face_  
><em>There's not a thing that I would change<em>  
><em>Cause you're amazing<em>  
><em>Just the way you are<em>  
><em>And when you smile,<em>  
><em>The whole world stops and stares for awhile<em>  
><em>Cause girl you're amazing<em>  
><em>Just the way you are<em>

_The way you are_  
><em>The way you are<em>  
><em>Girl you're amazing<em>  
><em>Just the way you are<em>

_When I see your face_  
><em>There's not a thing that I would change<em>  
><em>Cause you're amazing<em>  
><em>Just the way you are<em>  
><em>And when you smile,<em>  
><em>The whole world stops and stares for awhile<em>  
><em>Cause girl you're amazing<em>  
><em>Just the way you are<em>

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><p>R&amp;R&amp;Enjoy<p> 


	34. First Married Night Together

'Oh, I love this song!'

'Did you see the way he was looking at her? So adorable!'

'Mama, when it my turn?'

Andrea laughed a little as she made her way to the bar for a soft mimosa, a risky proposition to be sure. Daniel always loved to tease her on just how messy an eater she was, and he'd laughed outrageously when Meredeth had brought over a white satin apron that matched Andrea's dress so that just in case she dripped soup or tomato sauce on herself. She'd made it through without a single splat or dribble, and now Andrea was really pushing it by getting herself a cocktail with orange juice in it.

'Soft mimosa, please, easy on the OJ,' she asked the bartender; he responded with a polite nod and set to fixing it up for her while Andrea watched everyone party down.

'Two Manhattans and a Budweiser, bro.' Shane came up beside Andrea to put in a drink order, then leaned against the edge of the counter. 'Quite a bunch, aren't they?'

'They are some of the scariest people I've ever met,' Andrea said honestly, 'but in a good way, like a roller-coaster.'

'I agree. They were all pretty surprised when Alexis and I got together, but they understood it wasn't a fling, that we meant it.'

'That ring at New Year's certainly proves that.'

Shane laughed, picked up his bottle of beer while the bartender finished mixing the cocktails. 'It's easy to give into the fear that they won't accept you. But you have to remember one thing whenever you start to doubt it.'

'What's that?'

'They only do things like this for people they love.'

Andrea mulled the pathologist's words over as he collected his drinks, watched him pass one to Lili, the other to Alexis. Lili made some kind of comment, bobbing her head, which Beckett caught the tail end of as she and Esposito walked over, the latter shaking his head at his sister. Running her hand over her belly, she watched Esposito scoop Tessi up and give her a noisy kiss which made her laugh; the toddler said something to the table, which had them all giggling.

This was her family now. It was still a heady thing for Andrea to think she had one, a big noisy one full of such contrasting personalities but there they were nonetheless. Her brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews, they were all here to celebrate her marriage to Daniel and they would be there for the baby to be born as well.

'There's my lovely wife.'

She shook herself from her reverie to see Daniel walking over and her heart glowed warm with love. 'And there's my handsome husband. Baby wanted some orange juice.'

Daniel signaled the bartender for another one of the same for him. He desperately wanted to share a glass of champagne with his wife on their wedding day, but he was more than happy to forgo such a trifle for the health of their baby. He couldn't help looking at her body, where she was already starting to bloom out. Daniel rubbed a hand just below her navel. 'Hey in there,' he murmured, 'you having a good time too?'

'He or she certainly loved the chicken parmigiana, and is looking forward to the nine-thirty snack table.'

'Are you sure you're going to be able to stay up for that?'

Andrea nodded, took his hand in hers. 'I'm sure. The fatigue has pretty much been gone since Tuesday, and I think the nausea in the last few days was more about wedding excitement than pregnancy.'

'Fair enough. You know your body well, and I won't patronize you.' Daniel gave her a kiss. 'But if you start to fall asleep in your tea, we are consummating this marriage thing way sooner than midnight tonight.'

'Deal.'

* * *

><p>It ended up only being eleven when they retired up to the honey-moon suite. They'd gone through all the traditions of the bouquet throw and the garter toss, with the lucky winners being Lili and Shane. Everyone had had a great time, Daniel thought as he unlocked the door, propped it open.<p>

'Put your arms around me,' he told Andrea; as she did so, he swept her into his arms and carried her into the room. 'Saw that in _Gone With the Wind_ when I was about twenty-three and said, man I hope I find a woman who makes me that worked up. And I did.'

'Oh baby.' Andrea slipped back to her feet, then looked around. 'Dammit, they have to stop doing this! It's too much!'

The suite had been tidied to perfection, and there was a small sideboard of fruit and chocolate set up, along with a bottle of premium sparkling cider in a bucket of ice and two flutes waiting beside two notes; one on a white card with shimmering-blue embossing, the other on pastel yellow with a rainbow edging, both written in Honey-Milk's unmistakable hand.

'For your wedding night, to keep your energy up practicing for the second baby. All our love, from all of us,' Daniel read, noting all the signatures. 'And of course, there's one for the baby too.'

'Dear baby, hope you have fun with your mama and daddy in Greece. Hugs and mooshes, all of us,' Andrea added, smiling with motherly love at all the scribbled names on the card. 'So sweet.'

'You know we're going to be drowning in baby swag right?'

'My head hurts just thinking about where we'd put it all.'

'First thing we do after our honey-moon, my love, we start planning the nursery. But for now, for tonight, we are just us.'

Andrea stretched to her tiptoes, kissed his cheek. 'And I have a little something for you. Unzip me?'

'Sure.'

Daniel twirled her around so he could pull the cleverly-hidden tab down her back, helped her step out of the dress and draped it over the wing-back chair in the sitting area of the parlour. He knew she was going to put on some kind of fancy lingerie for him, but he had no idea what kind she would pick out for this very special occasion, so when he heard the door of the bathroom shut, he busied himself with taking the cider and flutes into their bedroom, then changing out of his tux so he was completely naked as he turned back the sheets of the bed where they would spend their first night together as husband and wife.

He'd just finished pouring the cider when the door opened and he heard her voice. 'You ready for this?'

'Bring it on, baby.'

Andrea stepped out, with a shy little smile on her face. She'd chosen a a snowflake white peignoir that reached to the floor, the bra of it flimsy lace and the bodice completely see-through so that Daniel could see the only thing she wore was perfume and matching satin bikini panties. Her hair was loose over her shoulders, looking like a fiery sunset on the winter snow.

'Wow, Andrea, you look so beautiful.' The sight of her lush and feminine body showcased for his admiration and his alone had the blood draining straight from his brain into his lap, and Daniel got to his feet, crossed to her. 'My sexy wife.'

'My sexy husband.' The beginning evidence of his arousal was quite apparent as she put her hands on his hips, pulled his body close to hers. 'My very sexy naked husband.'

Daniel dipped his head to kiss her lips, his hands immediately going to her shoulders to shove at the hair strand-thin straps of her lingerie. 'Think we can do without this. I appreciate the pretty wrapping but I like playing with the toys inside.'

'You came unwrapped. Just how I like you.'

He laughed, brushed his index fingertip over her lips before tasting them again, so delicious and juicy and tasting of Andrea. Turning and walking her backwards, Daniel tumbled them to the bed so that she lay underneath him and he began to inch that fabric down so that she was naked with him. His hands were busy on her body, stroking over her hips, her legs, everywhere he could find to touch. Then they were on her breasts, squeezing gently and rubbing his thumbs over her nipples, making her cry out. She felt her body respond, her hips arching against his. Her fingers kneads his shoulders, clutching at his back as she moaned loudly loudly.

'Andrea,' Daniel murmured to her, 'just stay like that for a moment.'

Too lost already in the sea of her hormones, Andrea could only blindly turn her head to watch him rise to his knees and reach for the glass of cider. Dipping a finger in, he traced the sweet, sticky wine over the swells her breasts. He set the glass aside, then lowered his mouth to one and when he tasted the sweet, heated skin in a teasing nip, he smiled at her oath, sharp and bright.

'God!'

It was like being set on fire, Andrea thought, as her breath began to hitch from the feel of his tongue giving her such pleasure. She let her legs fall open even more for him, as if to offer an even better invitation to him; it was always a move that made her feel very naughty. When he moved to her other breast and rolled her dampened nipple with his index finger, she moaned in loud appreciation that made the heat between her legs throb even more.

Daniel closed his eyes, groaning in satisfaction as he tasted her breasts. It was one of the first things he'd done with her of a more intimate nature and had become a favourite. More than anything, he loved to use his mouth on her to make her whimper in delight for him. As he felt the slick wetness between her thighs increase, he moved even farther down her body until he reached the crease where her thigh met her hip.

'Daniel,' she sighed, her hands on his shoulders.

He dragged his mouth over her skin and then, quick as lightening, was using his tongue on that sweet warm welcome. His hands were on her hips to keep her in place even as she ground against him, pulsing under his mouth. He dipped and swirled, and as she twisted her hands over the back of his head, her words were broken into syllables as she felt the orgasm build, then explode through her.

Breathing panting out of her lungs, Andrea helped Daniel come back up her body so she could kiss him, and murmur in his ear, 'Now, my love.'

She kept her eyes on his as she lowered her hand between their bodies, positioned him so with a small thrust he was entering her, every last inch of him.

'So big,' she moaned in his ear, and made him feel like a superhero. 'So very, very big.'

Daniel brushed his hand over her forehead before crushing his mouth to hers as he stroked her, each pass eliciting a whimper of ecstacy from her lips. He started out slow, then increased his speed so that by the time she was moaning in his ear she was coming again, she was all but vibrating in need and it didn't take long for her body to start to shudder in pleasure, nor for his to follow.

* * *

><p>R&amp;R&amp;Enjoy!<p> 


	35. Settling In: 15 Weeks

'Hey, look who's back, how was the honey-moon, tiger?'

Daniel grinned at Doctor Samson as he washed up in the scrub-room of OR Four. Samson was one of Daniel's favourite doctor's to work with in surgery because the man could actually carry on a conversation like a normal person on the job. He was sharp as a tack and knew his shit cold, which was why anyone who worked with him always felt quite comfortable sharing things with him while they were in the OR.

'Hey, Doctor, the honey-moon was great, we had so much fun.'

'Where did you guys go?'

'We went to Greece for two weeks, spent a couple of days in Athens and then went on a cruise around the islands.'

Samson nodded, his muted brown eyes merry. 'Sounds great. Greta and I, we did a tour of French wine country.'

'We were originally going to make it a diving trip, but after we found out Andrea was pregnant, we decided to make that our one-year anniversary trip instead.'

'Good for you guys.' The doctor looked through the glass window into the operating theatre. 'How did Missus Wilson seem this morning?'

'A little nervous but anxious to get it over with.'

'Good, that's good, always.'

'She's had a dose of Prozepam already to help her stay relaxed, but she's allergic to Demerol so I'll be giving her the special house-blend once she gets in here.'

'Excellent. You have your crosswords handy?'

Daniel nodded. 'Already in there sir, and it looks like our guest is arriving.'

Both men watched the orderlies wheel in the patient, who was in for a patella-ligament repair. The woman was in her mid-fifties and was a triathlete, training for the Palm Springs annual meet when she'd crashed her bike and banged her right knee up something fierce. Since Daniel was ready, he went into the OR where the surgical nurse gloved his hands and he went over to the woman.

'Missus Wilson, good to see you again.'

'Nurse Brick, right? That's your name, not just a nickname 'cause you're built like a brick-wall?'

'No ma'am,' Daniel reassured her with a smile in his voice, 'it is my name.'

'You married, have kids?'

'Just got back from my honey-moon and my wife's having our first baby this August.'

Mrs. Wilson nodded, the drugs already in her system making her sleepy. 'Mine are in the waiting room, hoping everything goes okay. If it doesn't, just tell them I love them and I'm sure you and the doctor did everything you could to make sure I could make it.'

'Hey now, none of that. You need to think positive, studies show that a patient's will to fight can make the difference in the OR.'

'I did the Death Valley Sun Sprint in fourteen minutes and that's a two mile course in the California desert.'

'There you go.'

Samson stepped over, mask on and gloves up just like Daniel. 'Good morning Missus Wilson, you ready to get that knee in shape for Palm Springs?'

'You betcha.'

'In the meantime...' Daniel sat down on his rolling footed stool, brought over the gas-mask for the general anesthetic. 'Speak into the microphone and tell me what you want to have for you first meal when you wake up. Anything at all, doesn't matter if we can get it in the hospital or not.'

'Soul food...chicken and waffles...mash po...pota...toes...and extra...ice...in...the...lemon...lem...'

He checked his instruments, making notes on the chart of the gauge for the patient's initial dose of anesthetic medicine, then passed it over to Samson. 'To quote Sheldon Cooper, you have the con, Doctor.'

* * *

><p>'So tell me, tell me, how was the honeymoon, was there lots of romantic walks on the shores of the Aegean?'<p>

Andrea laughed as she wandered around the apartment in her warm leggings and oversized sweater. She'd taken an extra day more than Daniel to get her body clock right, and while waiting for the kettle to boil for some late-afternoon tea she'd decided to return Lili's message welcoming her and Daniel home from their honey-moon.

'Not exactly easy to do that when you're on a cruise, but there was one night when we made love on our private, honey-moon suite promenade deck.'

'Oooh, sexy, sexy girl.'

'Oh, and I'll have to show it to you soon, we did a little dive, like really little. We went snorkeling off the shore of Cristos, this tiny little city just outside Athens and part of the trip was that you got to find a little sunken treasure in its own little old-fashioned treasure chest.' Andrea was still bubbling about it; she hadn't cared at all they were only in twelve-foot shallows or that she had to stay up near the surface. She'd gotten to go diving in Greece with her husband on their honeymoon and that was what mattered the most. 'Everyone got something, but some stuff was better than others. Like one couple got a chest of ancient coin replicas, another got a loose Aegean pink pearl, but Daniel found for me the best prize, a Greek amber pendant with the constellation Orion etched into the stone.'

'Yeah, I definitely want to see that. What? Okay, sweetie, I'll ask. Rosie wants to know if the baby liked the present she and Duncan picked out.'

Andrea laughed again. 'Yes, I know for sure the baby will love his or her 'yo no hable espagnol' t-shirt.' When she heard the key in the locks, she glanced at her watch. 'Oh, no. I better run. Daniel's home late, which can't be good.'

'Did he lose a patient?'

'I'll let you know. Talk to you soon.' She'd just pressed the 'End' button when the door opened and Daniel walked through, looking very bedraggled and in dire need of a hug. 'Hey, honey, how was your first day back.'

'Hellish. Is there coffee?'

'I just boiled the kettle on for tea.'

'That'll do even better.'

Daniel dropped his bag by the couch, stretched out on his back so that he could watch his baby mama in action as she puttered in the kitchen. Her belly had puffed up almost prodigiously on their first morning in Greece. They woken up in the hotel bed in Athens and Andrea all of a sudden looked most definitely pregnant. Her boobs were bigger, too, though only enough for Daniel to notice it when they'd been getting romantic, which was pretty much all the time; it was their honey-moon after all.

He watched her bring over two steaming mugs fragrant with the decaf earl-grey green tea she favoured in the winter, one laced with honey and lemon, the other unsweetened for him, and felt a little pang of guilt. 'I'm the daddy-to-be, I should be bringing you tea and rubbing your feet.'

'The night is young, it's barely five o'clock.' Andrea sipped her tea, sat down by his feet. 'I take it one of your surgeries didn't go well?'

'The morning one did, Missus Wilson my triathlete. It was the afternoon one, a seventeen year old girl whose parents failed to disclose to the surgeon and therefore me by extension that she had an intolerance for any tetracycline antibiotics, which are one of the common drugs used once the surgery is in the final stages to prevent any internal infections from forming near the stitches.'

'So what happened to her?' Andrea, being a nurse, knew medication but she wasn't the biochemistry expert the way Daniel was, since he dealt with drugs on a regular basis.

'Her heart went into overdrive and we had to try and figure out why the hell she was going sideways when her surgery was a routine goiter removal.'

'Those moments suck.'

'You can imagine what state Samson was in when he went to talk to the parents and they just blithely admit they didn't think their child's intolerance for this kind of drug was relevant. The father works in insurance and her mother is teacher at the culinary institute, neither of them has an MD so who are they to judge what is relevant?'

'I know, a lot of people don't understand that. Would you like something to cheer you up?'

'Your smile usually does the trick, but I could use a chaser of kittens eating lollipops under a double-rainbow right about now.'

'Lili says hello, and that Rosie wants to know if 'the In-ker-di-bi-ble Daniel' and the baby liked the presents she and Duncan picked out.'

Daniel chuckled at the relayed message. 'I'll call there later, talk to Rosie in person. Hey, you okay?' he asked her, noting the way she shifted and was rubbing her newly popped-up belly.

'Yeah, just feel a little weird in the tummy.'

'How do you mean?'

'It's like...these weird little fluttering feelings way down deep, almost like a little fish swimming around inside.'

Daniel didn't say a word, just stood up and went to get the baby books - her copy of _What to Expect, _his copy of _Baby Boom_ - flipping to the section on foetal development. They sat in silence reading for a moment and then Andrea began to pat her husband's knee wildly.

'It's the baby moving!'

'You sure? It's not just gas?'

'Yeah, listen to to this. 'Around weeks fifteen to seventeen you will begin to feel odd little flutterings in your uterus like a butterfly or a goldfish swimming'. That's exactly what it feels like! Oh, Daniel, this amazing, there's really a little something in there!' She looked at him; Daniel was still reading with a little pout face on. 'What is it, what's wrong?'

'I don't get to feel it, the baby's only big enough for you to feel it. I won't feel it for another few weeks until it's kicking and you actually feel it, according to this. I am suppose continue to be happy and supportive to you. Well, duh,' he mocked the book sarcastically. 'I always do that, you ignoramus.'

Setting the book aside on the coffee table, Daniel wrapped his arms around Andrea, rubbed a wide hand over her lower belly. 'Yo, you in there, hurry up and get bigger, it's uncool you're already picking favourites who gets to feel what.'

'Keep that in mind when we're having fun and sexy naked times in bed, or on the couch, or wherever we end up doing it, and the baby starts kicking at my stomach,' Andrea giggled. 'But speaking of sexy naked times, I was thinking if you're feeling that crummy...'

She leaned in, broke up her ideas with kisses against his lips. 'We could get naked...slip into a hot, steaming shower...get all soaped up...rub each other down...unless you're too tired.'

'I'm never too tired for soapy nakedness with my wife.' Daniel grinned, a giddy bubble in his stomach; the novelty of calling her his wife was going to take a long time to wear off. He got to his feet, pulled her up with him and gave her belly a little stroke. 'Come on there Kinder-Surprise, let's go find some towels.'

* * *

><p>R&amp;R&amp;Enjoy<p> 


	36. A Morning with Meredeth

'So, what are you big plans for your post-shift morning, _Missus_ Brick?'

Andrea laughed as she tugged on her jeans, and her maternity top in the locker room while Whitney Andrews teased her a little bit on her new married status. 'Daniel's on his last day of a day shift before he has thirty-six whole hours off and starts a regular rotation with Harvey. There is a mom who is having quads on Friday morning via C-section.'

'That sounds exciting, but I asked you.'

'Oh, right. Sorry. I'm going to my friend Meredeth's for baking and then a rest, or as she likes to say, a nibble and a nap which I could definitely use after a very slow night last night.'

'Sound like fun. Enjoy!'

Whitney, who was just coming on shift, darted off out of the locker room and Andrea sat on the bench, rubbed the sides of her belly with her fingertips. 'Guess what, boo-boo,' she murmured to him or her, 'we're going to Auntie Merry and Uncle Javi's house now, and we're going to have a nice snooze, then we're going to bake some delicious treats with Auntie Merry. And I bet we'll get to play with Tessi and Leo and Trini too. And you'll get to meet Arturo again. If you think he's loud and scary just remember he's suppose to sound that way so we feel protected. Wow we have a lot to do, so we better get cracking!'

She made her way to the subway, took the train so it spit her out at the end of Meredeth's street; Andrea knocked on the door strongly so the lady of the house would hear her in case she was upstairs in the nursery with the twins. Clearly, she was having a major case of tired pregnancy-brain today because she'd barely lifted her hand from the knocker when Arturo went nuts, sounding like a hell-hound out for blood. There was the sound of approaching footsteps and Meredeth appeared with one of the twins on her hip - Trini, evidently, as was discernible from the adorable 'Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice' onsie she was wearing today.

'Come on in,' Meredeth said with a wide grin on her face. 'I just boiled the kettle so first things first, you are having a nice warm cup-o-tea with me, and we'll watch a little bit of _Fellowship of the Ring_.'

'_Fellowship of the Ring?_' Andrea asked, curious as they walked over to the living room couch.

'I find the soft music and the water-colour palate the art directors chose very soothing. I watched the whole L-O-T-R series when I was pregnant with the twins and on doctor-ordered bedrest.'

'A couple of three-hour movies will do the trick. Won't they, Trini-cakes?' When the infant gurgled, Meredeth smiled and Andrea's heart melted.

'She's such a good girl.'

'She's had her moments. Getting her two-month shots was a nightmare. Leo got fussy but he's used to being uncomfortable with his colic, but Trini screamed bloody murder.'

'Poor little thing. You didn't like that very much, did you sweetheart? Where's your big brother?'

'Leo and Daddy are having a boys' morning with Castle and RJ, and Tessi is still at her cousin Rosie's. They had a sleepover last night, and _tia_ Lili is going to be dropping Tessi off shortly. Here, you hold this little sack-o-sugar-' Meredeth pretended to groan as she passed Trini over to Andrea '-and I'll make tea. It's naturally decaf with just a hint of lemon, do you want milk or sugar?'

'Just a touch of sugar. Right Trini-cakes?'

Trini responded with a little giggly smile, Andrea went soft as a roasted marshmellow. 'Oh, I can't wait until I have one of you in August for my very own,' she cooed, and kissed the little girl's cheek. 'What you think, am I growing a playmate for you or your brother in here?'

Meredeth came back to the living room to see her friend, with her pregnant belly pouffing up under her sweater holding little Trini above her head and making her giggle. 'Motherhood will look very good on you, Lady Nurse Brick.'

'Well, it's hard not to love a little slice of heaven like this one.'

'Here.' Meredeth set Trini into her baby-seat on the couch, then poured the tea. 'So, Trini's going to be going down for a little nap same time as you, then when you wake up, we'll have a little lunch, and work on some of the baking, okay?'

'Sounds good.'

'Excellent.' Glad to have the plan set, Meredeth picked up the remote, flipped on the television screen. 'Now, it's time to settle back and let yourself be entertained.'

They made it to Bilbo Baggins' departure from the Shire when Andrea felt her eyelids droop, so Meredeth showed her up to the guest room. The comfortable double-bed had been turned down already, and Meredeth actually tucked the sleepy nurse into bed even gave her a little kiss on the forehead when Andrea was nestled into the soft linens like a cozy little kitten and breathing deeply.

'Sweet dreams, sis.'

* * *

><p>The first sensation Andrea was aware of was the fact she wasn't alone in the bed when she woke up. Her first instinct was that it was Arturo, but Arturo didn't wear sweatshirts, or have curly black hair. Shifting a little, she saw it was the oldest little lady of the house, watching her with her own sleepy eyes.<p>

'Hi snoozy An-duh-ree,' she said in a sleepy voice. 'Whasha doin' here?'

'Mami invited me for a visit, but since I was working at the hospital last night, she said I could have a little nap first.' Andrea gave Tessi's little tummy a poke with her finger. 'I heard you got to have a stay-over with your cousin Rosie.'

Tessi nodded, eyes shining with big-girl pride. 'It a 'pecial night. We wash _Boodee an' the Beas'_ and munsh poporn. How the baby to-day?' The little girl reached out and rubbed Andrea's stomach. 'He-she gettin' way bigga now.'

'Absolutely. Daniel and I are going for a check-up next week to make sure everything is growing properly.'

'That good. Dottors help us, like Dell. He's dia-bi-bit.'

'I remember he got very sick.'

'I 'till inside Mami.'

Andrea laughed, pulled Tessi close for a hug and gave her a smacking noisy kiss. 'Think you can head downstairs and tell Mami I'm awake and will be down in a few minutes?'

'There's no need.'

Both girls glanced over to see Meredeth standing in the doorway with her apron on. 'Mami!' Tessi cried joyfully. 'An-duh-ree's awake! Baby feelin' good too.'

'Even better. But guess what we're doing now?'

Tessi's eyes were wide in delight and just a little bit greedy. 'Makin' tookies?'

'Tessi-boo, we've talked about this. Try again,' Meredeth encouraged her daughter. '_Coo-_kies.'

'Cuh...cuh...cuh-kies.'

'Very good, Tessi.'

'I putta tickie ona shart?'

'Yes, you can put a sticker on your chart.'

Meredeth shook her head as her daughter went to her room. 'We've been working with her pediatrician on that little speech impediment. It's hard when people find it cute, because we want to help her correct it as soon as possible, before she starts school.'

'Right.'

'Oh, sweetie, I'm not saying that to scare you.' She fluttered a hand. 'There are plenty of children without things like that. Hell, the only kid in our group who's really had any serious problems was Dell being diabetic.'

'I know, and I know this one's probably going to be just fine,' Andrea reassured herself, rubbing her belly in a little circle. 'So. What are we going to make?'

'Well, I've already got our lunch ready, so first thing we're going to make is pigs of ourselves. I made beef and bean enchiladas, one of the best recipes I ever tried when I was pregnant. It's got your fibre, your proteins and it tastes amazing.'

'Mami! I putta tickie ona shart! I cuh...cuh...can do it!' Tessi said with a little stutter of effort as she beamed at her mother and Andrea. 'Time to eat?'

The trio headed downstairs into the kitchen, where Tessi went over to her high-chair and waited patiently with her arms out until Meredeth lifted her up, buckled her in. 'Now, be careful sweetie, okay? What do we say?'

'Grrr-a-see-us,' she replied, picking up her baby-fork while Meredeth put Andrea's serving down in front of her. 'An-duh-ree, eat-up! It's yummy!'

'My goodness you're a bossy little thing,' Andrea teased her back.

'I be like Daddy, I be de-de-tiff.'

'Yes, I know, my princess.' Meredeth rolled her eyes playfully as she sat down herself. 'So, back to baking. We are going to work on some cookies, and some soup. Anything you like especially?'

'Cream of broccoli cheese, anything tomato vegetable, and baked potato.'

'We can do that.' She made a little note on the pad by her elbow, scooped up another bite of enchilada. 'How do you feel about pasta? Ravioli casseroles, creamy-tomato mac-and-cheese, lasagne, things like that.'

'Yeah, just no alfredo on its own, I don't like that.' Andrea glanced over when she saw Arturo trot from the front window to the door. 'I think someone's home.'

The front door opened; Esposito came in with the other twin and Andrea knew she was in hormonal hell when she glanced up, saw the handsome detective in his black leather jacket and gloves lifting the sweetly gurgling Leo out of his pram with his snowsuit on. The sight of the very manly man talking softly to his infant son had her blood churning, making her ache for Daniel.

Meredeth, having had three children herself, recognized the look on her friend's face and smothered a laugh. 'Down, girl,' she murmured, 'Daniel will be home soon enough.'

'He's off at four, that isn't nearly soon enough,' Andrea murmured back as he walked in, smelling so masculine and outdoorsy from the walk from the subway it made her bite the inside of her mouth. 'Hey guys, how was the morning with Castle and RJ?'

'Good, we're heading back out here, I just needed to come this way for a change of clothes,' Esposito replied.

'Oh, did he hiccup while he was having his bottle?' Meredeth asked in sympathy, and her husband nodded.

'Yeah, and got it all over my shirt.'

'Put it in the basin in the laundry room, with the-'

'Hot water and Javex in the blue bottle, I know,' he finished with a cheeky grin and another kiss for his wife. 'Andrea, Mere's gonna give you a lift home. A pregnant woman shouldn't carry that much weight.'

He passed Leo to his mother, then headed for the washroom; he stepped back out a few minutes later shirtless and the moment he hit the top of the stairs, Andrea set down her fork, reached for her cell in her pocket.

'That's it, Daniel's getting a very x-rated text-message right now.'

Meredeth only giggled. 'Go get him, killer.'

* * *

><p>R&amp;R&amp;Enjoy!<p> 


	37. HubbaHubba, Hubby

'Andrea?'

Daniel walked through the apartment door, calling out for his beautiful and apparently very horny pregnant wife. He'd been forewarned from Ryan, Esposito and the rest of them, but now that it was actually happening, he was beginning to think the whole matter had been woefully understated.

Tossing his keys into the bowl, he took off his winter-gear and called out for Andrea again. 'Honey?'

'In here.'

Daniel followed her voice into the bedroom and blinked. She'd put on one of the outfits from their honey-moon, the all-black number that showed off the golden sun-kissed glow she'd gotten while they were in Greece, and also left no doubt for anyone who saw her that she was both very built and pregnant. Her hair was loose and floating over her shoulders and the look on her face told him if he tried to run, he'd be eaten alive.

Why not make that the fun part, he thought with a grin. 'I got your text earlier,' he said, as he began to pull off his Columbia University alumni hoodie, then went for the button of his pants. 'Are you familiar with the acronym NSFW?'

'No.'

'It means Not Safe For Work, as in, you read this with someone looking over your shoulder and you'll blush like you've been sunburned.'

'And this is important because...'

'The next time you have the idea to send me a message such as, can't wait till you're home and fuck your brains right out of your head, please put that in the subject line so I won't read it when I'm in the middle of surgery with James Harvey.'

Andrea pressed her fingertips to her lips to hold in the giggle, but it still managed to squeak out. 'Sorry, sweetheart, I didn't know. Why don't I make it up to you?'

She crooked her finger at him, and drew him down for a kiss, the kind that made Daniel forget everything, including his own name. Her lips tasted soft and natural, just how he liked them, and he sank into the taste of her; it was the perfect cure after a long day without seeing her at work. Stretching out so he was laying on his side facing her, he groaned lightly as her long smooth leg hooked over his hip to pull him near and keep her close to his body.

'Wow, you really are wanting it, aren't you?'

'Mm. Javi had to come home with Leo while I was at Meredeth's, and he took off his shirt, and all I could think was, I wanna see my man without his shirt on. And his pants.'

'Well, give it a few minutes, I'll be without my clothes. In fact, I think you're wearing too many yourself.'

'If you think so, why don't you help me out of them?'

The note of challenge in her voice told Daniel she wasn't in the mood for sweet, matrimonial lovemaking, she wanted good sweaty sex, and that's exactly what he would give her. He put his hands on her back and rolled them so she was on her back beneath him, then sitting up when he pulled her vertical. His movements were just a little bit rough when he peeled her lingerie over her head, but the look in her eyes told Daniel she was loving every moment of it. When his gaze wandered down, he grinned; she was all woman, all those curves God-given with the exception of one - that one had been all him and he was very very proud of it.

Andrea sighed as he pulled her in for a kiss again, one hand slipping down to cup her breast which made her squeak in delight as she felt his thumb brush over her nipple. The touch of him so intimate on her always made her feel alive, and this was no exception. She breathed deeply, so as to push herself into his hand and her head rolled forward so that it rested on his sturdy shoulder. 'Your hands are magic, baby,' Andrea murmured to him.

'Right back at you.' Daniel knew from the way she was breathing deeply like this she wouldn't last very long so he turned her once more so they were upside down in their bed, feet by the headboard, and shimmied out of his boxers. Nudging her thighs apart ever so slightly, he eased himself between them, just resting against her and he groaned in frustrated satisfaction when he felt the hot slick wetness there. 'Damn, baby, you really do want it, don't you?'

'That's what pregnancy does to the hormones, everything ends up there,' she murmured with a little chuckle, then nodded when Daniel kissed the swell of her breast. 'It's okay Daniel, they're not as sore now.'

'Aw, I'll kiss it better then.'

He moved his lips over that ultimately womanly curve, then paused a moment. 'Are you okay with this? I'm not crushing Junior in there?'

'No, it's okay, sweetheart.' That he was so concerned and attentive was truly arousing and Andrea put her hand to cup his cheek. 'I'll let you know if it's not.'

'Good.'

With this reassurance from his wife, Daniel lowered his mouth to her once more and moaned lowly when he tasted that sweet heated tip of her. Her cry was music to his ears, and he felt the concentration of her arousal where they were so intimately pressed together. Her hips began to move against his, so much so that Daniel moved ever so slightly and filled her up, making her eyes pop wide.

'Daniel-'

But her words were cut off when his lips crushed hers, making her wrap her long arms and legs around him like pale ivory vines, whimpering and sighing in delight. He could tension building in her, the way she clenched around him as her body moved with his until she tore her mouth away from him and cried out in a sweet desperate voice as the orgasm hit her like a hurricane. He kept his eyes on her face until he felt his own release draw near, and she dragged him over the edge with her.

When he had some kind of brain power working again, Daniel sighed deeply, turned to give her cheek a kiss. 'Andrea?'

'Yeah?'

'Was that what you had in mind when you sent me that text?'

'And then some. Baby, can you just move a little to your right?'

'Oh, sure.' Daniel slipped out of her, twisted to his side. He rubbed his hand over the beautiful curve of her stomach. 'I thought you said it was okay for me to be on top?'

'Yeah, when we're having sex it was fine because we're moving around you know? Lying still, not so much.'

'Good to know.'

'So.' Andrea turned onto her side, propped her head in her hand. 'How was your day, dear?'

'Well, I'd love to tell you, but between my wife sending me naughty texts in the OR and then my wife making good on the promise in those naughty texts to screw my brains out, I don't remember.' When she laughed, low and musical, Daniel grinned. 'It was good. Not as much fun having a working lunch going over charts and diagnoses for the quads on Friday but could have been worse. Could have had to do an amputation.'

'This is true.' Andrea knew that every medical professional, no matter how stone-faced they were in the room, always had one thing that made them squeamish - for herself it was broken wrists and ankles, they creeped her right out. For Daniel, it was the sound of the bone-saw orthopedic surgeons needed to use when doing an amputation.

'How about you, how was it going to Chelsea after the night shift?'

'Wonderful. Had a nap when I got to Meredeth's, woke up with Tessi cuddling up with me. Then we had lunch, and spent the afternoon making food. The freezer is stuffed with casseroles.'

'Can we have one tonight?'

'Sure it's why she made them for us.'

'I'm not in the mood to do much of anything except lie here with you right now.'

Andrea laughed, then let out a yawn. 'I could go for a little nap, but first I want a shower. Yeah, yeah, I know you're in there.'

'What?'

'The baby's fluttering around. I've noticed he or she is doing that a lot more now that I can feel it in there. So shower, care to join me, hot stuff?'

Daniel could only stare at her. 'Andrea, I'm not Batman, I'm not ready for a second round just yet. Give it a few.'

'I just thought we might like to have a little bit of fun giving each other a back rub in the shower, all hot and soapy and stuff.'

'Hold that thought.' He sat up, picked up the ringing house line. 'Hello?'

'Hey big daddy, it's Rick Castle.'

'Hey, what's shakin, bro?'

'As much as possible.' On the other end of the phone, Castle's voice was jovial and delighted. 'Listen, I'm having Saint Patty's out at the Hamptons this year, if you and Andrea are free to come up.'

'Oh, sure, ah, hang on.'

Daniel covered the mouthpiece of the phone, spoke to Andrea. 'Saint Patty's in the Hamptons with Castle and company, you in?'

'Hell yes.'

'Yeah, we're good to go,' he replied. 'Andrea's got a check-up with Harvey on the Friday, so we'll have to work out the driving since neither of us have a car-'

'Oh, you can ride up with us. Shane's going to visit Alexis in New Jersey that weekend anyways, so there's room in the car.'

'Great.'

'I'll leave you two alone.' Now Castle's voice was teasing. 'I'm sure you two have _married_ things you want to be doing.'

'Oh shut up.' Daniel hung up on the writer's laugh and shook his head. 'Now I get it.'

'Get what?' Andrea asked, scooting off the bed to find towels for her shower.

'What the guys were teasing me about on my bachelor weekend away in Atlantic City, about second trimester hormones coupled with newlywed passion being tantamount to a death-by-sex sentence.'

'But you gotta admit, that's probably the best way to go right?' she replied with a wink and Daniel chuckled, gave her a kiss.

'God I love you, Andrea.'

'Love you too, Daniel.'

* * *

><p>Later, when they were tucked into bed for the night Daniel was still awake, watching her sleep and watching her round belly rise and fall under the covers.<p>

'Hey in there,' he murmured to the baby, 'I know that might have seemed a little scary with Mama's heart going so fast but that's only because Daddy was show her how much he loves her. Just take it easy on her, okay?'

He kissed Andrea's naked shoulder, then groaned when his cell went off. 'This is Daniel,' he answered it.

'Daniel, I know you're not on call tonight,' Harvey said in a rush, but our mother with the quads just called me, her water broke. I need you and Andrea both here.'

* * *

><p>R&amp;R&amp;Enjoy<p> 


	38. Shopping With a Bag: 17 Weeks

The morning they were due to go to the Hamptons for Saint Patrick's Day, Andrea was in a fantastic mood. Her check-up with Harvey had gone swimmingly - the baby was growing well, in all the right places, and her own health was in great shape. She was, as Harvey had jokingly put it, an exemplary pod growing a healthy little pea.

Now that the business part of the day was concluded, Andrea was more than a little excited to go shopping with Honey-Milk for some new summer maternity clothes. Meredeth had given her some of hers for the end of March and a little bit into April, but Andrea was really looking forward to buying her own things for the summer since that when she was going to be at her heaviest.

Purse on her shoulder, she double checked to make sure that her and Daniel's bags were ready to go - he'd finished the night shift and was sleeping while she was out shopping - and was almost out the door when her house-line rang. 'Oh come on,' she grumbled, and picked up so her sleeping husband wouldn't be awoken. 'Hello?'

'Andrea, sweetheart, you'll never guess where I am.'

'Where are you Mom?' Andrea replied,her annoyance level having multiplied exponentially.

'Downstairs in the limo. I'm in town and I thought I'd surprise you. We can do a little shopping, maybe grab some lunch.'

'I appreciate the thought but I'm already going shopping with a friend of mine.'

'Then bring her along. We'll make a day of it. I would love to see your new husband Darion for dinner tonight.'

'Daniel, Mom, my husband's name is Daniel,' Andrea said through gritted teeth,' and we are going out of town for the weekend, we're leaving at three so I'm sorry but shopping is all I'll have time for with you and Jenny today.'

'That's works too, sweetheart, whatever you want.'

'Fine, we'll meet you downstairs.'

Andrea sighed, rubbed her belly. 'Brace yourself, baby,' she murmured. 'This will be a long day.'

She headed out the door, and nearly bumped into Honey-Milk. 'Hey bumpy,' she grinned. 'How's the baby today?'

'Stressed out. My mother just called, she's downstairs with her limo and wants to come shopping with us.'

'Oh, that's who that was. I helped one of your neighbours with the door for her groceries, and we were admiring the limousine downstairs. We get to ride in that all over town today?'

'Yes, but at a price, my mother is kinda like the free-app version of my sisters.'

'What's the difference?'

Andrea sighed as they rode down the elevator, stepped into the lobby. 'You know how most people run on coffee or orange juice or in some cases Diet Coke? My mother runs on vodka and gin.'

'Ah.'

'Yes. Ah. She'll say things and then half the time she'll contradict herself in the next sentence. It's occasionally like dealing with a very stupid child.'

They stepped outside and saw the liveried driver waiting to open the door of the limousine for them; he did so and Andrea could immediately smell the light scents of Dolce and Gabbana perfume along with Bombay Sapphire. On the bench opposite to where she and Honey-Milk slipped in was the formidable Agnes Hennessey Huntington McMaster. She was wrapped in a warm looking felt pea-coat the colour of good brandy; her gloves were a perfect match. When she smiled at her youngest daughter, it was a little sloppy which made Andrea wonder how many gin and tonics Agnes had already had that day.

'There's my big girl,' she crooned, then turned to Honey-Milk. 'And you are?'

'Jennifer Ryan, I work with Andrea.'

'Oh, how lovely. Now, I was thinking we'd hit Fifth then have a bite at Sardi's downtown. They have the most amazing smoked shrimp there.'

'I'm pregnant, remember? No smoked seafood,' Andrea reminded her as the driver started the car. 'And Jenny and I are going to Thirty-Fourth Street, not the Upper East Side. There's a couple of maternity and baby shops there that my friends have recommended.'

'Oh.' Agnes looked slightly put out. 'Well, doesn't Armani have a maternity section?'

'I'm not going to spend seven hundred dollars on a blouse.'

'What's the point of having money if you can't enjoy the nice things money can buy?'

Honey-Milk's eyebrow arched a little, but kept on the baby and maternity clothes topic. 'There are a lot of designer labels in these stores if you're concerned about quality, Agnes, it's simply condensed so that pregnant women don't have to be on their feet going from shop to shop all the time.'

'Oh please, when I was pregnant with Andrea, I was going to three charity events a week. In high heels.' Agnes waved Honey-Milk off, picked up the phone for the driver. 'Carlton, can you take us to East Fifty-Fifth and Fifth Avenue?'

'Mom!' Andrea was trying to stay calm, but even her elastic patience was running out. 'Jenny and I planned _our_ day to go to Turtle Bay. I said _you_ could come with us, not the other way around,' she reminded her, and the reaction was one to be expected: Agnes' face pokered up and she added an eye-roll.

'Correction Carlton, can you take us to Thirty-Fourth and Seventh? Yes, apparently we're going downtown.'

Honey-Milk had to clench her jaw at Andrea's mother's attitude but at least she wasn't the stone-bitches her daughters were; it was easy to see where Cora and Gerry had gotten it from though. She saw Andrea looking out the window, and for a moment caught a glimpse of a little girl who'd seen the back of many limos and wanted to walk on the street with everyone else. Reaching over, she patted her friend's hand. 'So, what stores are we hitting up? I know you never shop without a battle-plan.'

'I was thinking we'd be able to hit A Pea in the Pod, then maybe Belly Dance and Motherhood.'

'Oh, I loved Pea in Pod. I had a baby in July, and in December, I know how hellacious it can be to have a baby in you in the summer when you're hot and sweaty as it is. You'll find great summer stuff there. What about getting anything for the baby?'

'Maybe, we'll see how I fare first.'

* * *

><p>An hour into their shopping trip, it took all of Honey-Milk's restraint and good temper to not punch Agnes square in the face just to shut her up. Trying to keep her cool, Honey-Milk went to a rack of dresses, pulled one from the rack. 'Oh, Andrea, look at this! This would be perfect for on the beach on July Fourth weekend!'<p>

Andrea, who already had a few things in her hands for trying on, looked over and nodded her approval. 'That does look good.'

'Try a medium and a large.' Honey-Milk passed her both sizes. 'I always tried both sizes when I was pregnant.'

'Thanks.' Andrea knew what her friend was trying to do and was incredibly thankful for it. She took one of each size for the dress along with the other things and headed into a changing booth while Honey-Milk looked at the lingerie section; she'd loved their bras and especially their shape-wear to give her support when she'd been seven months onwards with Mallory, as had Meredeth when she was nearing the end with the twins.

With a couple of selections for Andrea in mind, Honey-Milk went back to the dressing room area but held back a little bit when she heard Agnes and Andrea speaking to each other. For a moment, it was like listening to a teenager try and express herself against the parent who held the purse-strings.

'Mom, I really like this one.'

'But it's so obvious that you are pregnant wearing it, Andrea. Don't you want to look your best?'

'Of course I do, and-'

'So then, listen to your mother. Black is always much more slimming.'

'I want to look pregnant for my husband, Mom.' Now Andrea was speaking through clenched teeth herself; Honey-Milk had heard her use that tone when she was working with a particularly difficult parent. 'This is the best I've felt about my body in a long time.'

'Well good for you,' Agnes simpered condescendingly, 'but your husband won't want to see you looking so heavy. You should try the So-Cal diet, help keep your weight down.'

Honey-Milk stepped forward on this one. 'Out of the question,' she said boldly, wearing her nurse's hat. 'The last thing Andrea should be doing right now is limiting her caloric intake. She has been working with a nutritionist so she will grow a healthy baby and keep herself healthy. Her OBGYN says she is in great shape so going on a so-called diet is absolutely ridiculous.'

'She's a nurse, Mom, just like me and she's had two children herself,' Andrea added emphatically. 'She knows what she's talking about. What do you think, Jenn?'

'I think that looks smashing. Are you getting that dress in the pink and the green?'

'And the yellow too, I think.'

'Black, Andrea,' Agnes insisted again. 'You need a few in black so you can hide the belly.'

'Mom, for the last time, I am not hiding my belly. Daniel loves me just as I am, as do my friends so stop trying to beat me down.'

Honey-Milk was doing one hell of a cheer-leader's dance routine in her mind, but kept her face placid and calm as Agnes tugged on her jacket. 'Fine. You don't want my advice, I am going to Sardi's. I may have wasted my day but I won't waste my lunch reservation. I love you, my baby, even if your fashion sense sucks.'

'Love you too Mom.'

Andrea watched her go, then looked at herself in the mirror. She saw the bulb of her pregnant tummy poking up under her dress and felt a sudden rush of downer-hormones sweep through her. 'Oh, God, she's right. She's right, I look like a little roly-poly lemon.'

'Hey, hey now.' Honey-Milk rushed to her friend's side as she slumped into one of the comfortable chairs of the dressing area, put a hand on her back to rub in supportive circles. 'It's okay to feel overwhelmed but you are not going to listen to her. You are beautiful, and more importantly, you stood up to her. That is something to be proud of, right?'

'Uh-huh. And Daniel loves me for me, even more I think because I'm having his baby.'

'There you go.'

'Man, I feel so dumb.'

'Don't.' Now the nurse's tone was firm and reassuring. 'Everyone feels that way when their parents are around. But she's not now, right?'

'Exactly. So I am going to get one each of these dresses in pink, green, and yellow, and then I want to try on that dress you brought me.'

'I also brought you some frilly underthings to try too.' Honey-Milk wiggled her eyebrows. 'Might as well put those second trimester hormones to good use for you and your hubby, right?'

* * *

><p>R&amp;R&amp;Enjoy!<p> 


	39. Blow Up

'You guys ever been to the Hamptons?'

Castle asked the question from the driver's seat, glancing in the rear-view mirror at the parents to be who were cozied up in the back seat. He saw Daniel cover Andrea's hand as the man replied, 'Once or twice.'

'It used to be my escape from the city. Now it's where I take my family. All of them.'

Daniel linked his fingers through Andrea's; it was such an amazing feeling to be thought of as part of an exclusive club like the Twelfth Precinct family.

'Okay, here we are.' They turned into the driveway of the gorgeous yellow and white mansion with its gingerbread-edging on the roof and gables. There was already a nifty little silver Hybrid in the driveway, and the snow had been cleared to make room for another three cars, as had the cut-rock steps that led down to the boathouse.

'Wow. Some digs.'

'It's our little loveshack,' Castle said wistfully, making Beckett snort.

'The boathouse is the loveshack, remember?'

'Oh yes. Meredeth and Esposito's little baby-making haven.'

Andrea snickered. 'I heard all about that one very memorable girl's night. Are they still going to be down there for the weekend?'

'Cam and Lili have a church thing on Sunday morning, so they're only staying one night. Once they're gone tomorrow afternoon, Mere and Javi will be up in the main house with all of us. And you guys get Martha's room, with its own ensuite,' Beckett said as she and Daniel unloaded the bags from the trunk. 'Second floor, top of the stairs, it's right beside the communal bathroom.'

'Here, I got it, sweetie, you take the hitch-hiker and your purse inside. No protesting,' Daniel added when he saw his wife open her mouth. 'You are doing enough multi-tasking right now as it is. Go on.'

'Come on Andrea.' Beckett steered her friend toward the house. 'Let's let the manly men make manly men noises while we go into the kitchen and let the girls coo over you.'

'Just the girls? No babies?'

'Nope. This is a weekend for the mamas and daddies. Only baby here is yours, since you guys are a combo plate. I gave Honey-Milk the keys so her and Kevin are already here, and the rest should be here shortly.'

They walked into the spacious kitchen and Andrea blinked; much like her bachelorette weekend, almost every available space had been filled with fruit and veggies, and Honey-Milk sat at the kitchen table with her husband peeling navel oranges. 'Hey, we're here, all three of us!' Beckett said brightly, and both Ryans looked up at the greeting.

'Hey, mama, heard you had quite the time shopping today,' Ryan said, rolling his tongue inside his cheek.

'I'm sorry, Kevin, I could hear you over that tie.' Andrea cocked her head to the side. 'Is that a rainbow on your tie?'

Ryan looked down at his personal tradition of a truly hideous and tacky tie for Saint Patrick's Day. The top two-thirds were indeed rainbow-striped while the bottom third was a pile of gold coins in a black cauldron. 'Yes, yes it is, my lovely gestating friend.'

'Oh. Okay, then.'

'We're working on the fruit for the juice bar tonight. Orange, pineapple, strawberry and apple, and Meredeth's bringing lemons to do her ginger-lemonade recipe.'

'Sounds yummy, can I help.'

'Here.' Ryan stood up, held his chair out for the pregnant woman. 'Already nicely warmed for you.'

'Thanks.'

'I think Castle was taking Daniel into the games room once the bags were upstairs,' Beckett said, knowing the man was looking for the escape-from-the-mother-hens hatch. 'Why don't you see if Andrea's presence has you getting lucky?'

'What?'

'My husband, despite being Irish as a shamrock, doesn't exactly have their famed luck when him and the boys are having cards night, or anything involving a bet of some kind,' Honey-Milk explained as Andrea sat down, picked up an orange and began peeling. 'The only time it seems to improve is if I'm pregnant.'

'I see.'

'Don't be surprised if he asks you to blow on his pool cue later.'

'That's dirty,' Andrea said, making Beckett and Honey-Milk giggle. 'If I'm blowing on anyone's pool cue, it's going to be my husband's.'

'Dirty is right,' Beckett agreed, going the drawer for a carving knife as she began to take the pointy husk off the first of the pineapples. 'How 'bout them hormones?'

'I remember mine being just awful, I would actually cry during sex some nights and poor was so baffled, he had no idea if he should keep going or offer me a tissue.'

'I was in denial about mine at first.'

Andrea blinked, paused in the orange she was peeling. 'Really? A self-aware woman like you?'

'Yeah. Lanie pointed it out to me when I told Castle to stop patronizing me over...something, I don't even remember what, but I do remember very clearly saying that I was perfectly in control of my body and she just laughed at me.'

'Someone laughed at you and kept their teeth? You're getting soft, Detective.'

The women all glanced over to see Lanie was there already, her brown eyes twinkling; her black pants and cream chenille sweater had Andrea flashing back to the store when her mother had insisted she buy the black dress so Daniel would still find her attractive. Seeing Lanie, so trim yet curvy and remembering the woman had had two babies made her want to go hide under the kitchen sink.

Honey-Milk saw that Andrea had gone quiet, a sure sign the bubbly nurse was too far inside her own thoughts for it to be any good, and gave her a nudge. 'Come on, mama, anything like that happen to you yet?'

'Well, let me think. Last week I was at Meredeth's baking with her on my day off after finishing my night-shift rotation, and Javier came home with Leo on his boys morning out. He, ah, put his shirt in to soak in the laundry tub, and then walked back out shirtless so I sent a text to Daniel saying when he got home I was going to fuck his brains out of his head. What I didn't know was that he was in surgery at the time with Harvey.'

'No.' Lanie laughed through her nose. 'Girl, tell me that's not true.'

'Every word, cross my heart. Meredeth even teased me about it a little.'

'Oh, that is good, that is very good. What are you girls working on?'

'Juice bar,' Beckett informed her, putting the slices of pineapple into a bowl. 'Grab a bowl and a paring knife, you can work on strawberries.'

'Yum. My favourite.'

They worked and chatted, and it was very pleasant, except for one small thing that Andrea just couldn't let go - when the subject of Andrea's diet with the baby came up, Lanie chipped in how she was so frustrated she couldn't shake off the last ten pounds she'd gained with Violet, even though her daughter was a year and a half old now. By the time Meredeth got there, Andrea was relieved as it meant another woman who would steer the conversations about food away from denial-regimes and more towards how things tasted.

It was cozy, Andrea thought, all of them there to celebrate and have a good time that night, the kind of night that would segue from dinner to dessert to drinks to more drinks to even more drinks. While the men all played pool and kept out of the women's way, the girls continued to work on their fruit deconstruction; once Meredeth arrived, Andrea was relocated from oranges to apples, and was working on them by the kitchen sink to give her legs a stretch.

'Oh, so, big news that I need to talk to you ladies about.' Meredeth munched a stick of sliced pineapple, waved it like a baton. 'I had a little meeting with Sloan Machado and she has a very interesting idea.'

'Really?' Intrigued, Lanie looked up from where she was hulling strawberries. 'Do tell.'

'She is getting her own featured show at the High Summer Arts Festival in August. Her theme is strong women stripped down to their very natural beauty.'

'You mean naked, don't you?' Beckett said, cutting through the artistic bullshit.

'Yeah. And she's asked me to do be one of her models, and I thought, why doesn't she use all of us? We're all strong beautiful women.'

'Would it be like _Playboy_ nudity or more like _The Birth of Venus?_' Honey-Milk asked.

'More like Boucher's _Marie-Louise O'Murphy._ All the naughty bits are covered up, but you're still nude. And they would be all in black and white, and I think she mentioned something about some possibly being in silhouette.'

'I like that idea.' Lili nodded. 'Very sexy without being too graphic.'

'And there is the possibility I would be able to work a little magic if it's a hit and sell Robina on the idea that the _Vanity Fair_ interview she's been hounding me about would fit right in with this collection,' Meredeth concluded. 'I'll let you guys think on it, talk about it to your hubbies if you think any of them might be uncomfortable with it. In the mean time, we've got yummy treats to finish working on. Anyone want the last piece of chocolate? Lanie, I know you love the seventy-percent stuff.'

'Go for it. If I'm going to pose naked for an arty photo, there is no way this booty needs any more poundage added,' Lanie started to joke, then stopped. In fact everyone stopped when Andrea threw the apples she was peeling into the sink.

'For fuck sakes, Lanie, shut up!'

She turned to face the woman, not registering the shock, concern and the little dribble of hurt she saw there. 'Seriously? You're worried about having ten extra pounds on your ass? Do you have any idea how much I would love to have your body? Do you know how much I wish I could be tiny and petite and perfect like you? And even worse, you don't even know it! You are perfect exactly as you are Lanie, and you are showing just how much of a spoiled, selfish bitch you are by not even realizing it or being thankful for it.'

She turned on her heel out of the kitchen, and Meredeth went to follow her up, but Beckett simply murmured, 'Let her go, Mere.'  
>They all heard the sound of the door slamming upstairs, and looked around at each other. 'Anyone know what that was about?' Lili asked, munching a carrot.<p>

'Her mother crashed our shopping trip for maternity clothes and kept telling her how to make herself look slimmer for Daniel,' Honey-Milk said softly. 'I thought she was okay, but I guess not.'

'I need to go apologize to her.' Lanie got up off of her chair, but sat back down when Meredeth shook her head.

'Tears are cleansing and from the way she blew her stack, she sounds like she needed to let it out. Don't worry, you'll kiss and make up.'

* * *

><p>R&amp;R&amp;Enjoy<p> 


	40. Make Up

When the fruit was ready for juicing and the others were working on veggies trays, Lanie managed to slip away and go upstairs to Andrea and Daniel's room, knocked on the door.

'Mere, I'm fine, really.'

Rather than risk being rejected, Lanie shoved open the door and stood there, appalled to see Andrea packing her suitcase. 'Are you swapping rooms with Mere and Javi?'

'I'm going back to the city. I'll tell Kate and Richard I got called in to work or something,' Andrea said softly, cocentrating on making her loose-fitting into neat little squares.

'What? Why the hell would you do that?'

'I'm not exactly going to be welcome after blowing up at you like that, now am I?'

'So that's it? You think that's how we work, that we only want you around for the fun stuff?' Lanie folded her arms over her chest, cocked a hip to the side. 'Newsflash, sweetheart, you're stuck with us for life, good times and bad. And you having a hormonal freak out is no different than when Meredeth lost her mind over gain six pounds when she was pregnant with Tessi.'

'See that I understand. Meredeth and I, we're of the same body-type, we're big girls to begin with. But you...' Andrea sighed, trailed off as she sat down on the edge of the bed. 'Hearing you bitch about extra pounds makes me think if someone as perfect as Lanie Parrish-Robbins has body-image issues, there's no hope for me.'

'Okay you need to stop calling me perfect. For one, I don't like it, and another, it's totally untrue. Do you want to hear just how un-perfect I am?'

'Give it a shot.'

'Okay, I was raised in a predominantly Dominican community, but neither my sister nor I spoke Spanish, so the girls at school teased me in Spanish and I had no idea what they were saying; I later learned they were calling me some very nasty names that most grown men wouldn't even use on a porn star.' Lanie eased down beside Andrea. 'Then my sister got pregnant when she was seventeen and her boyfriend was on his way to prison. I was only eleven. Three years later, a nurse at my father's practice accused him of having an affair with her and my mother and sister and her baby left.'

She took a breath. 'Once my father started working for the hockey club, I had to be legally emancipated so that he could travel for his job. And all of that is before I went to university and nearly didn't survive my sophmore year because I had a brain anneurysm just after the start of second semester and I spent all of the term doing classes from a hospital bed while my body recuperated.'

'Lanie, I'm sorry.' Now tears spilled over from Andrea's eyes. 'I didn't know.'

'I know, which is why I'm telling you like this instead of having a duel of apple peelers at ten paces in the kitchen.' When Andrea laughed, Lanie felt a little glimmer of hope. 'We've all been through our own personal hells, Andrea, they all have lingering effects. The question is, do you rule them or do they rule you, because right now I think you're still stuck in the second category.'

'I don't want to be, but changing twenty-odd years of how those women...conditioned me to think about myself isn't broken overnight. Hearing my own mother talk about me like that in front of Honey-Milk-'

'That's not a mother,' Lanie interrupted. 'Your mother is someone who is there for you through thick and thin, who will kick your ass when you want a pat on the head and be so gentle when you think you should be flayed alive it makes you want to cry. Yes, they'll point out flaws but that's because they want the best for you, and there's a severe difference between want what's best for you and wanting you to be soem perfect little droid doll.'

'I understand people who want perfection or nothing at all better than people who just like me for me.' Andrea rubbed her belly in smooth circles, trying to keep her voice steady. 'I actually used to think all mothers and sisters were like that, that it was just sibling rivalry and it was pushing me to better myself, to understand what self-discipline was.'

'All I know is the only two women downstairs who really have had what I think of as a 'real mother' their whole lives are Lili and Honey-Milk. Mere and Kate both lost their mothers, Alexis' bio-mom is so heinous she gives your relatives a run for their money, and as for me, well, that's one thing you and I have in common.'

'Why couldn't it be a love of seafood?' Andrea sighed, and Lanie laughed, wrapped her arms around her friend's shoulders as she started to cry again. The fat drops of waters landed in little splats on Andrea's jeans. 'I feel so stupid.'

'You're entitled to your insecurities just like everyone else Andrea, but you have to remember, we like you.' Lanie drilled her index finger into Andrea's shoulder. 'Not the version of you we think you should be, _you_, just you as you are. Same with that guy, there.'

Andrea looked up, saw Daniel hovering in the doorway. 'Hey.'

'Hey back. Honey-Milk said you and Lanie had a little dust-up. Am I interrupting the make-up sex?'

'You just missed it.' Lanie gave Andrea's temple a little kiss. 'I'll see you downstairs in a few, okay? We still have to finish doing the veggies for later.'

'Okay.'

Lanie eased past Daniel, who sat down in the space Lanie had vacated, glanced over confusedly at Andrea's suitcase. 'You makin' a break for it?'

'I was thinking about it. I said some awful things to Lanie, that she needed to stop bitching about a few extra baby pounds she hasn't been able to shake because she was already perfect while I was decidedly not.'

'Must be quite a burden being in charge of such important decisions like deciding who's perfect and who's not,' Daniel said in a lightly sarcastic tone. 'Andrea, no one here is judging you, except you.'

'I know, and yet I can't stop myself, you know?'

'And you thought you'd, what go back to the city and tell everyone you got called into work, and that would be it, they wouldn't want to see you anymore? You really thought that would stop them?' When she didn't answer, Daniel chuckled. 'You know what your problem is, my love?'

'What?'

'You never learned how to spar in a fair fight. You always were in the kind of verbal warfare that wouldn't end with someone saying they're sorry, or where you could apologize and they would genuinely accept it.'

'You're right, I didn't. I don't know how to have an argument with someone and know that they're not going to wash their hands of me, except you.'

'Well, Andrea Darcy, you are tattooed on them now. We both are. They adopted us, remember? What makes you think after the last six months they would decide one freak-out, especially when you're pregnant, would be enough to obliterate everything we've been building with them.'

'Because they're not blood relations. They're not obligated.'

'Exactly. Kate could have very easily thrown you out, and me with you, after yelling at Lanie and they could have stonewalled us, except that's not who they are. The woman you fought with came up here to see if you were okay.'

Andrea nodded, then closed her eyes, sighed. 'No need to poke at me, I get it.'

'I didn't touch you.'

'Yes you did, you...' Her eyes flew open once more, as she straightened up. Her heart beat hopefully in her chest. 'No you didn't. THe baby did. It kicked me, and I felt it.'

'What?'

'I felt the baby kick me,' she said again, pressing her finger tips to the side of her tummy and felt another poke. 'Oh my god! It's moving! Right there.'

Daniel put his palm over her body where hers had been and gasped as he felt the movement under her skin. His throat closed up, and his eyes welled up. 'Oh, baby. Andrea, I love you so much honey,' he managed, giving her a big fat kiss.

'Come on.'

Without thinking twice, Andrea tugged on his hand, dragged him down the stairs into the kitchen where all the women were still working away.

'Hey, She-Hulk, are we no longer experiencing exposure to gamma-rays?' Meredeth teased her friend, then looked at her face. 'What is it?'

'The baby gave me a kick and I felt it. I- We felt the baby move,' Andrea blurted out, causing the other girls to gasp excitedly, but for Andrea, there was one person who deserved to have the first good-luck Buddha rub. She pulled out the chair beside Lanie, took her friend's hand. 'Have a feel.'

The others watched, all getting a little bit misty, as they watched Andrea pressed Lanie's palm to her belly. No one would have guessed just half an hour before she'd stormed off after cussing out the same woman she was now getting to feel her baby's movements.

'Are you sure you felt it in there?' Lanie asked after feeling nothing under her hand.

'Yeah, just give it a...right there!' Andrea gasped excitedly as she felt the same little poke again. 'You feel that?'

'Oh, yep, there it is,' the doctor giggled. 'You've got yourself a live one in the tank, Lady-Nurse Brick.'

'Hey. Heard there was a girl-fight and we missed it?'

Andrea looked up, saw the men had all crowded by the door and realized Daniel had gone to fetch them and tell them the news of the baby's movement. She inclined her head in a physical show of apology to Esposito and Castle who looked genuinely disappointed by the notion. 'I'm sorry boys, you did.'

'And the make-up sex,' Lanie added in a low purr, making Dave's throat tighten up a little bit. 'We're good now.'

'Aw,' Ryan whined, sounding just like his son had at the prospect of having to wear a suit for the wedding. 'Man, I knew there was a reason I was thinking of going upstairs to get my new camera battery.'

'Is everything okay? I hope it wasn't over something serious,' Esposito inquired, looking a little worried, and Meredeth shook her head at her husband.

'No, no, remember when I had my little flip-out when the cashier at the drugstore asked how many days I was overdue with Tessi?'

'Kinda hard to forget that river of tears.'

'Andrea's freakout falls into the same category.'

'Well not to worry, we have plenty of the wonder-drug for pregnant women in the freezer.' Castle squeezed himself out of the group and opened the door of the freezer to reveal no fewer than six pints of Hagen-Daas ice cream. 'This saved my ass on more than one occasion when Kate was growing RJ.'

Andrea felt another little nudge, this time to the left side of her belly, and she giggled. 'Uncle Richard, the baby says no swearing allowed.'

* * *

><p>R&amp;R&amp;Enjoy!<p> 


	41. Hangover Morning

When dinner was done, Andrea felt herself getting the yawns, but no one teased her when she asked Daniel to accompany her upstairs for a few minutes while she rested. The new sensation of the baby kicking was both gorgeous and exhausting, or maybe that was the come-down from making-up with Lanie. Either way, Andrea knew she needed a lie-down.

Stretching out on her side, she wasn't at all surprised when her husband spooned in behind her, his big hand on her now jiggly belly. 'Wow, little one's really moving around, huh?' he laughed softly. 'What's it feel like?'

'Remember after we ate that really, _really_ bad curry from Spice Island, and we both felt like there was something living in our intestinal tracts? It's a little bit like that.'

Daniel remembered that disastrous take-out date well, and made a face. 'That bad?'

'No, that sensation but in a good way.'

'Okay then.'

'I don't know why I'm so sleepy,' Andrea yawned. 'I feel like I could sleep until next Wednesday.'

'Couldn't have anything to do with the fact your mother crashed your shopping date, tried to make you feel like scum and then had a fight with a friend only to think you blew it, and then find out that friend wasn't going to be shaken loose. No that would just be silliness.'

'That might be it too. It's been a roller-coaster day.'

Daniel pressed a kiss to her throat. 'It has, and you need to rest.'

'What do you think about Meredeth's idea for Sloan's art show?'

'Hmm, gee, lemme think, you naked in high-class black and white, covered up just enough to make me and the other boys drool? Yeah, that's a really hard one to debate on.'

'I'm serious.' But there was a giggle in Andrea's voice as she said it. 'You're okay with the idea of me being naked and oggled by men and women alike?'

'I am because all the fun parts that are for my eyes only won't be shown off. Are you worried you'll be teased?'

'No. Well, maybe a little.'

Daniel pursed his lips, nodded. 'Well, why don't we ask little Connor or Guinevere? What you think, my little mover and shaker? Uh-huh. Uh-huh. See I knew you's say that too. The baby wants to be in the picture too.'

'Alright, I guess I'll tell Meredeth in a few.' Andrea giggled once more when she rolled to her back, saw the baby actually making her belly wobble around.

'I think it's trying to do the samba.'

'It's the jive and shhh, just quiet now.'

'Okay.'

He lay beside her, holding her close until he was certain she was asleep, then pulled the throw blanket up over her body and was mindful to tuck in her feet - his wife loathed sleeping with a blanket where her feet stuck out the end - and kissed her cheek. 'Sweet dreams, my love.'

* * *

><p>The following morning, Daniel woke first though he knew Andrea had already been up to pee before coming back to bed. Moving quietly, he kissed her and slipped out of bed, downstairs to the kitchen to find Dave, Lili and Beckett; all were working on some kind of contribution to breakfast.<p>

'Morning. Happy Saint-Patty's Day,' he greeted then in slightly raspy voice, then nearly wept when Beckett passed him a cup of coffee. 'Oh, you read my mind.'

'Figured you might want that after the drinking games you and the boys were playing last night.'

'How the hell did I let Castle talk me into doing Jagr shots? I haven't done that since my brother's bachelor party.'

'Castle can be pretty persuasive, and as I recall, you couldn't taste it anyways,' Dave chuckled; as he'd stuck to beer after a very long day at work with people getting their Irish on early. 'But you weren't as bad as my wife and Meredeth. Now, there's some ladies who can throw down.'

'I think Meredeth was excited at the idea of being able to have a little bit of a wild night twins-free. She and Javi love them but two five month old twins can be a challenge,' Beckett added.

'I know, I remember her bachelorette party well.' Lili gave Daniel a little nudge in the ribs. 'I was nursing so I couldn't drink, so I remember everything that happened that weekend.'

'And like a true sister, is keeping her mouths shut on it,' Beckett added, then glanced up when Lanie and Meredeth both toddled into the kitchen, gritty-eyed and sleepy. 'Morning, ladies.'

Lanie slumped into a chair beside Daniel, waved her index finger in a pointing motion. 'Shh. No loud noises, just coffee. Lots of it. David Angelo, love my my life, you have your field kit on you with an IV bag?'

'Sorry sweetie, I've only got a half-litre of saline.'

'Meanie.'

'That's alright, here.' Beckett plunked a coffee cup in front of both hungover women, heavy on the sugar and cream for Meredeth since she wasn't a coffee drinker. 'Mere? You with us?'

'Kind of. Just gimme a long straw so I don't have to move.' Meredeth propped her heavy pumpkin-sized head on Daniel's shoulder. 'Mm, cozy, that's why Andrea loves you so much.'

'Well, amongst other talents,' Daniel said dryly, making Lili and Dave laugh. 'I heard a rumour you are the pancake master?'

'Yes, yes I am the pancake master.'

'Wait, home come you came down the stairs with Lanie? Weren't you and your man out in the boat house?'

'Too drunk last night to go anywhere, we slept on the floor of Lanie and Dave's room,' Meredeth replied, straightening up and cracking her neck. 'I might go rustle up my hot Javi, see if he's too hungover for shower sex.'

'What about pancakes?' Lanie asked in an almost pitiful voice.

'Sex my husband, pancakes.' She held up her hands like she was juggling, let her left hand sink lower. 'Sorry, Lanie, Javi naked always wins.'

The writer wandered off to roust her handsome Puerto Rican from sleep or maybe wake him up with a little sugar, making Daniel laugh. 'This is going to look suspicious on my part but I am going go wake Andrea up, too. Preferably with some sugar.'

With the wolf-whistles at his back, he went upstairs to his and Andrea's room and found her sitting up in bed, rubbing her eyes. Despite the fact there was still slushy snow on the ground, she was just in her soft-bra and panties. 'Hey, honey,' he said sweetly, 'you just waking up?'

'Yes. Preggo-horny and alone, a rather lethal combo. I was going to wake you up with a smile,' Andrea replied, coyly winking at her man.

'Well, considering how much I had to drink last night, it's probably better that didn't happen.'

But Daniel was crossing to her, pulling his t-shirt over his head; it was no small matter of pride to him that she got such a drooling, glazed look in her eyes whenever she saw him naked or stripped to the waist. He'd always known he had an above-average, even hot, body and his looks had made him the cash to get through his nursing degree. However there was a huge difference in looking pumped at the gym with work-out buddies, getting the eye from ladies in public and the look he was getting from his wife now. Given the choice he'd take the last one any day of the week and twice on Sunday.

'See now,' he murmured, tasting those naturally-plump ruby lips of hers, 'I'm awake and can really make you smile.'

'The plan was to make _you_ smile.'

'You naked in bed with the look you have right now is more than enough to make that happen.'

'You know what I mean.'

'I do,' Daniel acquiesced, 'and there's plenty of time for that later. Right now, this morning is about you.'

He meant it too, and showed her just the kind of love that had made their baby in the first place - sweet and tender, and fiercely passionate; muted, naturally, so that the others in the house wouldn't be embarrassed to face them in a few minutes over toast and eggs. When they were done, with Andrea straddling her man and gazing down with blissfully sated joy Daniel winked at her and gave her butt a friendly, loving slap.

'Now that's hot,' he told her, 'seeing all this woman up above me, all curvy in all the right places.'

'Even if she looks more like Buddha than Aphrodite right now?'

'Don't forget, Aphrodite had a son Eros. She was walkin' around Olympus all pregnant and shit too at one point.'

Andrea laughed out loud; in addition to his love of DC comic books, he also loved Greek mythology and knew just about every legend inside out. 'So does that make you Ares or Hephastian?'

'Hephaestus,' he corrected her, 'and yes it does. Despite my lack of skill in metallurgy and his other physical malformations, I am your everlasting husband who loves you very much.'

'Oh, I love you too, Daniel.' Andrea felt the tears well up and sniffled a little. 'It's only hormones.'

'Seeing as those hormones just got me laid on a Saturday morning, I'll fetch you a tissue.'

'No, I'm okay. I'm going to go hit the shower.'

'Careful with the water-temp, I don't want you to boil the baby!' Daniel called after her, then grinned. Despite being off to a slightly rocky start for his bride, he knew when she went downstairs freshly showered and glowing she would receive a hero's welcome.

His prediction, as it turned out, was accurate, for when they made their way downstairs, the Espositos were there too; the detective was looking as relaxed as Daniel felt and he had to assume Meredeth had indeed made good on her promise to wake him up with a side of sugar.

'Hey sweetie!' Meredeth sent Andrea a sunny smile. 'Feeling better after a nice nap last night?'

'Yeah I'm sorry I slept through the antics last night, though, sounds like it was a hell of a night.'

'There's still more to come tonight,' Beckett reminded her. 'We kinda had our drunk night last night, tonight's the night for more family oriented fun.'

'Namely, a _Scene It _tourney,' Dave said, and pointed his spatula at Meredeth when she visibly perked up. 'You get to be the referee.'

'Oh, that's not fair!'

'Mere, name the only three films to win the AMPAS grand slam,' Esposito asked her.

'_It Happened One Night_, nineteen thirty-four, _One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest,_ nineteen-seventy-five and _Silence of the Lambs_, nineteen-ninety-one, with several other films such as _American Beauty_ were only one off,' Meredeth replied, almost in one sentence.

'See, we need you to be our fact checker.'

'Fine but I get Andrea to be on my team in my place.'

'Excellent. Now let's eat.'

* * *

><p>R&amp;R&amp;Enjoy<p> 


	42. Friends With Benefits: 18 Weeks

On the Wednesday morning after the Saint-Patrick's blow-out in the Hamptons, Honey-Milk opened the door to the supply closet to find Andrea muttering to herself as she searched the shelves for something. The woman's baby bump was in full bloom and Honey-Milk wondered how much longer Andrea was going to be able to wear her draw-string scrub pants.

'Hey sweetie, whatcha lookin' for?' she asked, picked up a box of disposable thermometer ends.

'It's kind of embarrassing.'

'Sweetie, I've had two children and I'm a pediatric nurse, I've seen a lot of shit, sometimes quite literally. What are you looking for?'

'That disposable underwear we give to colorectal patients. I, ah, had a little accident.'

'Oh?'

'Yeah, instead of being constipated, I've been...I've had a little case of the scoots, and I went to fart...' Andrea trailed off, cheeks red as her hair in shame. 'I feel so gross and stupid.'

'Part of being pregnant. The poop factor is never one they tell you about in the TV shows where a woman in labour gives birth within twenty minutes.' Honey-Milk began to scan the shelves with her, then found what they were looking for. But before she handed them to Andrea, she went to the door, locked it. 'Here, change in here, there's a medical waste bin by the door.'

'Jenny, you're my boss, I can't-'

'Need I also remind you that I will be there with you and Daniel and Harvey in the delivery room when your little hitch-hiker as you call the bump, is brought into this world? Off with the pants.'

'Okay.'

With jerky movements, Andrea untied her pants strings and let the loose fabric fall to the floor, then she shoved her ruined panties to the floor, stepped into the diaper-like disposable underwear. It made her feel like a loser to have to do so, but on the other hand she didn't want to keep having to throw out her panties. 'I liked those ones too, they were Paul Frank printed.'

'Were your reindeer panties Paul Frank, too? I can't remember.'

'No, those were La Senza. And those are only for Christmas time, so they will be safe from my explosive rear-end.'

'If that happens again, not saying it will, but if it does,' Honey-Milk suggested, 'put some aloe gel into your make-up bag in your locker, it will help cool the area down if you're feeling on fire.'

'Thanks, good to know.'

Honey-Milk unlocked the door, held it open so her friend could walk through - or was it waddle through now, she thought amusedly, as Andrea had begun to ducky-step the way a lot of women did when pregnant - when Andrea's cellphone went off. 'This is Andrea.'

'Lady Brick, I need you down in the ER with me, we have an incoming trauma with a woman at thirty-seven weeks pregnant.'

'Yes sir.' She hung up, turned to Honey-Milk. 'Harvey needs me in the ER.'

'Go, we're pretty quiet today anyways. I'll let you know if I need you for anything.'

* * *

><p>The first person Andrea saw when she stepped off of the elevator into the ER was Daniel, who already had a disposable gown for her. 'What's the deal?' she asked briskly, tugging on the gown and walking with her husband towards the trauma room<p>

'Yvonne Gurrieri, age thirty-three, she was in a taxi and the car was t-boned by a pick-up truck. She's almost full term, and she's very scared and worried that there might be something wrong with her baby.'

'And you need me to keep her calm while you and Harvey and the others work on her, right?'

'To quote Carly Simon, nobody does it better. You up for a little double-oh-seven after work tonight?'

'I'll think on it.'

Daniel held open the door for his wife, and then they were no longer the married couple making plans after work, but married professionals ready to ply their trade. On the bed in front of them was Yvonne, a toffee-skinned woman with hair that matched her skin colour perfectly. There was no blood visible but the look in her eyes was one of pure panic. Knowing her job here, Andrea tugged on gloves and rounded the gurney, went to sit on the rolling-footed stool by her head.

'Yvonne, I'm Nurse Andrea Brick. Can you tell me your middle name?'

'It's Yvonne. I go by my middle name. First one is Carly, like the singer Carly Simon. What's going on with my baby, is he safe?'

'Yes, Yvonne, your baby is safe,' Harvey replied in his steady, no-nonsense tone. 'You are having contractions but you are at thirty-seven weeks and three days so you are not considered to be pre-term.'

'What about the accident, is the baby...oh, oh no, oh God, is that a contraction?'

Yvonne's hand shot out, searching for something to grasp and she caught Andrea's steady one in hers. 'Breathe deeply, Yvonne,' she said in her subtly strong way. 'In through the nose, I'll count five and then let it out.'

She counted to five as the frightened woman inhaled through the nose, then blew it out, and Andrea made her do it twice more, and Yvonne slumped a little on her side, then turned hopeful eyes up to Andrea. 'What's your name again?'

'I'm Nurse Andrea Brick.'

'Isn't that his name too?' Yvonne pointed with her free hand at Daniel who was preparing an injection and an IV for her.

'Yes, Daniel's my husband.'

'Lucky girl. My hubby is in Saint-Louis right now and...oh, god, someone needs to call him!'

'We've already taken care of it,' Harvey assured her, 'and right now Sir Nurse Brick is going to give you a small dose of painkiller that we give to women in labour prior to the birth. It is safe for the baby, so right now you just need to try and relax.'

'Tell me about your husband, Yvonne.' Andrea picked up the cue right away; she glanced at her watch to note the time and stroked her latex covered fingers over the pregnant woman's brow. 'What's his name? What does he do?'

'His name is Carlo Gurrieri, he's an IT guy for the city school board, and he had to go to Saint-Louis for some kind of conference on something to do with the Internet blockers. I'm not good on the science end of computers, so it's just white noise to me when he talks about it.'

'But you listen when he talks and that's what's important. Is this your first baby?'

'Yeah. We're having a boy and we don't know what to call it. Carlo's family is all Italian and mine is Polish-Ukranian, so we're torn as to what we should call him.'

'My husband and I aren't finding out yet.' Andrea wheeled her chair around so Yvonne got a nice look at her own pregnant belly. 'We want to wait until the baby's here.'

'Congratulations.'

'What does Carlo look like?'

'He's about six-feet, dark eyes. You know that show _Heroes?_'

Andrea laughed. 'A little bit. My friend Meredeth is a nut for them, but I know who the main players are.'

'He could be Adrian Pasdar's brother.'

'Very nice.'

'Okay, we're going to get you fixed up here Yvonne.' Daniel brought over the injection, and with the speed of a mongoose fastened on the IV. 'This is a low-grade of painkiller it will take the leading edge off of the contractions, and Lady Nurse Brick is going to stay with you until your husband gets here.'

Harvey snapped off his gloves and looked at his patient. 'Sir Nurse Brick and I are going to look at the results of the blood we sent to the lab, and determine what's coming next in your course of treatment.'

Yvonne nodded, and Harvey went out the door with Daniel; the lower number of people in the room meant Andrea could move so she was sitting in the woman's line of sight. 'Andrea, I'm scared,' she said in a little voice. 'I don't know if I can do this on my own. What if Carlo doesn't make it here in time?'

'You're not alone, you've got me and Daniel here. Tell me how you and Carlo met.'

'In line at Heart's Kingdom. There's this graphic novelist we both love and we wanted to get our copies of her books signed, and we started having this silly argument over whether her character Lady Hawk's alter ego, Tabitha Stroud had ever had an affair with the other character Joshua.'

Andrea tried to keep her composure even as her brain felt like it had been struck by lightening. 'Oh yeah?'

'Yeah, and we were debating right up until we met Meredeth Esposito, well, she was Meredeth Coleman back then and she cleared it up that Joshua and Tabitha had never gotten into bed together. Carlo and I had had a friendly wager going and he lost, so he took me out for coffee and that turned into dinner, and now we're married and having a baby.'

'Funny how things like that work out. Can you excuse me for two minutes? I need to make a quick call.'

'Sure, just, not too long, okay?'

She nodded, and dialed Meredeth's cell the moment she was in the hallway. 'Mere? It's Andrea.'

'Hey, sugar, what's shakin'?'

'I need to ask a favour, that might be a little bit weird.'

'I live with a cop and have three kids. I'm looking at weird in the rear-view mirror.'

'Okay. I have a patient in early stages of labour and her husband is out of town, but she mentioned to me that they met in line at one of your book signings, and I thought-'

'Where do you want me to meet you?'

* * *

><p>As Yvonne's labour progressed, she was moved up to the maternity ward, and Andrea paced almost as nervously as the expecting daddy might himself. When the elevator dinged, and she saw her friend step off of the elevator with Tessi holding her hand.<p>

'An-duh-ree, it baby-time al-ready?' Tessi asked hopefully.

'No, sweetie, not yet. I've asked your mami to help me with something. One of my patients is having a baby but the baby's daddy was away and she is very scared. But she mentioned she likes your mami's books and I thought it'd be nice to cheer her up if she came to visit.'

'Oh. That is nice. We cuh...can do that. What her name?'

'Her name is Yvonne.'

'Like in _WALL-E_?'

'Similar to that. Come on.'

The trio walked in and Andrea watched Yvonne's eyes pop wide. 'Yvonne, this is my friend Meredeth, and her daughter Tessi. This is my patient Yvonne, her contractions are twelve minutes apart and last about forty seconds.'

Stepping out to let Meredeth and Tessi visit the star-struck Yvonne Andrea saw Daniel coming up with the tubing and medication for an epidural. 'Saw Meredeth walk in,' he said. 'You're a good friend, my love.'

* * *

><p>R&amp;R&amp;Enjoy!<p> 


	43. Little Monkeys

'_Thunderball?' _

'No.'

'_Live and Let Die?'_

'I thought I was clear, Daniel, I want total cheese.'

From her spot on the couch in the living room, Andrea rubbed her belly where the baby was kicking her near her navel. '_Live and Let Die_ cannot fall into that category because it has the best Bond song ever.

'Uh, hello, _Tomorrow Never Dies?_ Sheryl Crow? Or how about _Goldfinger?_ That's a classic.' Daniel turned back to the massive DVD selection. 'Okay, miss smartie, what is the cheesiest Bond film?'

'_Man With the Golden Gun_, of course.'

Daniel was ready to say differently but he knew better than to argue with a pregnant woman, especially when that pregnant woman would sex him up but good at a moment's notice. Instead he did the wise thing and put the disc into the player, then brought over the snack she'd requested; again another pregnancy oddity. She'd asked for popcorn, and a large bowl of cinnamon-crunch cereal with lemonade in lieu of milk. Andrea claimed it tasted good, but Daniel's tastebuds had different ideas.

'Hey, lemme try something.'

'What?'

Daniel dipped into the popcorn bowl, and put a little fluffy kernel on the curve of Andrea's belly near her breasts. 'Think the baby can kick it off?'

'Unless I'm going to give birth to a Rockette, or possibly Hugh Jackman, I sincerely doubt it,' she giggled, totally charmed by his daddy-to-be antics. 'That trick might work if I was laying down.'

'Mmm, you know what else works really well when you're laying down?'

'I don't know,' Andrea teased him. 'Why don't you show me?'

They weren't even through the opening credits and he was going to get lucky; Daniel was more than a little excited about that idea. The rising tide of happy in his chest died as the house-line rang. 'Ignore it, if it's an emergency, they'll call back.'

'Mm, Daniel, it's Lili. I can see the caller ID, babe.'

Undeterred, Daniel continued to root at her throat as she picked up the line. 'Tell her we're very very busy. Tell her we are buck naked on the floor on a bear-skin rug with strawberries, whipped cream and whatever disgusting pregnancy craving you're having now.'

'Shut up, you. We'll do that later. Hey Lili, how's it going?'

'Stressed, I need to ask you for a major favour.'

'On a scale of 'give me the last donut' to 'help me dismember this dead body?'

'We're at the 'you watch my kids, I'll watch yours' yellow-alert.'

'What's up?' Daniel being no dummy, he could tell the mood he'd set with his cutesy antics was being put on hold. 'Everything okay?'

Andrea held up a hand at him. 'What's going on?'

'I have a conference call to Vancouver tonight at nine, and Cam was called in early, would you be able to look after Rosie and Duncan for a few hours?'

'Hang on. You okay putting the romance on hold a moment? Lili needs a sitter for a few hours for Rosie and Duncan.'

'Sure. The question is, can _you_ handle putting the romance on hold?' Daniel winked at her, making her laugh.

'Bring them by, it's one-thirty-two East Twenty-Second Street, apartment four-eighteen.'

'See you soon.'

* * *

><p>Half an hour later, just as Andrea was finishing tidying up the living room the intercom buzzed to let her know the George-Espositos were there, and she buzzed them in. She looked around, gnawed her lip a little.<p>

'Should we put out some healthy snacks? Or have they had dinner yet?'

'You're the one who talked to Lili, my love,' Daniel reminded her. 'But as it happens, since we haven't had dinner yet either, I thought we might order sandwiches from Gennaro's. They have a great ankle-biters' menu.'

'Ankle-biters?'

'What would you prefer I call them? Jam-eaters? Curtain-climbers? Nose-miners?'

He went to the door to answer the knock there, as Andrea was laughing too hard, and he grinned when he saw Cam there with Duncan in his pram and Rosie on her feet, both in their cammo-printed snow-suits. 'Hey, come on in.'

'What's that sound?' Cam asked, pushing Duncan's pram one-handedly while he braced the weight of his bad knee on his cane.

'That would be Andrea having a laugh-attack. Hey sunshine, you need a hand?'

Rosie had sat down on the little footstool just inside the door and was tugging at her boots. 'I don' want to make a mess.'

'No mess,' Duncan added, peering around the edge of his pram. 'Wo-sie mess?'

'Nah, she's good, Duncan-Donut,' Cam grinned as Andrea appeared, the remnants of her giggle fit on her face. 'Hey Andrea, you feeling a little goofy?'

'Hi And-uh-ree! Hi baby! Daniel is helping me!' Rosie announced cheerfully.

'Here, Rosie, take Daddy's cane, please.' Cam passed his walking stick to his daughter and she held onto it like a ninjitsu master contemplating her foe while he plucked Duncan out of his pram to help him out of his snow-suit. 'They haven't had dinner yet, have you guys?'

'We're getting sandwiches from Gennaro's. Lots of veggies and good things for little ones,' Daniel reassured his friend.

'I know, they are fantastic.'

'Nibby, Daddy,' Duncan said, patting his stomach. 'Nibby.'

'I know you're feeling nibbly, you want your Cheerios while you wait?'

'Chee-ohs.'

'I help him, Daddy,' Rosie volunteered, taking Duncan's hand and leading him over to the living room where she gave him a boost onto the couch. 'You stay here, I get your Cheerios.'

The little girl with her dark curls and her daddy's green eyes wandered back over, got the diaper bag off the back of the pram. 'You be care-ful with your knee, Daddy.'

'I know, baby, you are worse than your mother somedays,' Cam chuckled. 'Okay, checklist. Duncan and Rosie's pjs are both in the bag, Duncan will want a bottle of juice when he's tired, around seven-thirty. Rosie is in pjs at seven-thirty, down time at eight. If she doesn't have her stuffed pony, Peggy, all hell will break loose. They are both fine to eat a small sandwich, Rosie's a great eater so just worry about ordering for Duncan.'

'No ma-moes,' Duncan reminded him from the couch. 'Mushy.'

'Yes, I know. No tomatoes because the big guy thinks they're mushy. Give me a kiss.'

Daniel watched the children give their father smooches bye-bye, and Duncan got a bit sniffly as he saw Cam go out the door. Immediately Rosie was reaching for a tissue and dabbing at her brother's eyes.

'No tears, Donut. We're spending time with the In-ker-di-bi-bible Daniel, and An-duh-ree, and the baby! You know what?'

'Wha'?' he replied, lower lip trembling.

'Mami said the baby started to kick inside An-duh-ree's tummy and we can feel it!'

'Wan' see.'

Andrea smiled, sat down beside the little boy and took his hand, pressed it to the spot on her belly where the hitch-hiker liked to kick her. The foetus was indeed awake and kicking, and Duncan's eyes went wide with excitement.'

'It movin'!' He giggled. 'Boy?'

'No, we won't know until he or she is here. But would you like to be in on the ground floor of something special? Something even Dell hasn't gotten to see yet?'

The idea of getting a scoop on gossip before Dell had Rosie perking up like a flower after a rainstorm. 'Oh, yes, An-duh-ree. That would be very essiting.'

'Before you do, how about we order dinner? Duncan, what sandwiches do you like?'

'Sheesh an' pippas.'

'Cheese and peppers,' Rosie clarified. 'It has a fancy 'Talian name. Cappy some-thing.'

'Caprese?' Daniel asked and the girl's head bobbed.

'Yeah, it's yummy and Duncan likes it a lot.'

'Caprese it is.'

'Now can we see the surprise?' Rosie asked sweetly, batting her lashes; she clapped her hands when Andrea lead them down the hallway, opened the door across from the bathroom. 'It is an empty room. And there is a chair.'

'This is going to be the nursery,' Andrea told her, 'and that chair is the first piece of decorating we've done for it.'

'Yea baby!' Now Duncan clapped his little hands together, then rubbed the belly. 'Nussy. Baby nussy.'

'You go, Duncan! Feed the birdies!'

Daniel snickered when the siblings tapped their fingertips together. 'Man, that is the cutest secret handshake I think I've ever seen.'

'Nibby soon?' Duncan asked, walking back over to Andrea and taking her hand.

'Daniel's going to order the sandwiches, and we'll eat soon. In the meantime, would you like to colour or play cards?'

'Cards! We can teach Duncan 'Go Fish'!' Rosie exclaimed, feeling inspired. 'My cards are in the bag. Come on, Duncan-Donut.'

* * *

><p>To Daniel's surprised, their little house guests were indeed the good-eaters Cam had described them as; Rosie and Duncan wrapped their little hands around the seemingly gargantuan sandwich and made yummy noises in tandem while Andrea enjoyed the bbq-pulled chicken on ciabatta with spinach and tomatoes, and Daniel the smoked salmon BLT while they watched the disc of <em>Muppet Treasure Island<em>. Duncan asked them all what Gonzo was and when they said he was a weirdo, his immediate reaction was 'tha' no' nice', thinking the others were insulting the beloved blue Jim Henson creation.

When the little boy asked for his apple juice, Daniel took Duncan into the bathroom to change his diaper and his clothes into his pjs while Andrea helped Rosie into her night-gown, which made her laugh.

'My First Word was 'Oo-Rah'? Where'd you get that?'

'Daddy was a soldier in the U-S-M-C,' she replied, enunciating each letter of the acronym. 'They all say 'oo-rah'.'

'Of course they do.'

'Daddy was hurt when he was a soldier, that is why he has a cane. And if anyone teases my daddy...' Rosie bunched up her little fist, slammed it into her palm knuckles-first. 'Bam, right in the kisser.'

'Do you even know what that means?' Andrea laughed.

'No, but Daddy and Mami said it.'

Well, then, best let them say it, since they know what it means.'

'Okay. Come on, we gotta give Duncan his juice and then it's night-night time.'

'Hey, you guys ready to finish the movie?' Daniel appeared at the door with Duncan sucking mightily on his bottle.

'Yes, Daniel. Come on, Duncan.'

The children toddled ahead of the grown-ups into the living room and Daniel held Andrea by the arm so that he could kiss her without grossing out the under-six crowd. 'What do you think of a few like them?'

'What do you say we get through having the first one and come back to it?'

'Deal.'


	44. Unexpected Turn: 20 Weeks

'Hey Daniel.'

'Hey Donally.'

Without looking up from his charting, Daniel greeted the surgical intern with a casual indifference; he was having a busy night in the ER and just wanted to be home in bed with Andrea, making good use of her hormones. As it was, she was on duty in the nursery tonight. 'Is there something I can help you with?'

'Just thought I'd say hi.'

Daniel glanced up now, saw her do that hair-toss thing she liked to do to try and get his attention. More than anything he just found it annoying that she was trying to turn her life into _Grey's Anatomy. _'Okay, hi.'

'Busy night?'

'Yes.'

'No need to get snippy,' Donally said cheerfully. 'I thought it paid to get in the good books of the nurse who handles the patient's party favours?'

'It does, but not by doing that hair-flippy thing.' Daniel closed his chart, gave her his full attention. 'Look, Donally-'

'Jessica, my name is actually Jessica.'

'Nope, sorry, you're still Donally to me. You are a very beautiful woman.'

'Thank you.'

'But I'm married.' Daniel held up his hand with his wedding ring; the gold glinted in the dull fluorescent light. 'It means 'off limits'.'

'I know that. So does this.' Donally held up her right hand. 'My girlfriend's learned to take the fact I'm an incurable flirt in stride.'

'Girlfriend?'

'What, you think I'm gonna waste this on a grunting caveman?' She motioned to herself. 'Please. Rocia has learned that I can't control myself around pretty people, I just have to let them know I think they're hot stuff, and I do it by making them flattered or in your case squirmy.'

'An odd battle plan, but sure, I'll go with it.'

'The point being that flirting is flirting and once you cross a line, it's not flirting anymore. You think I've ever crossed a line with you in the few months I've been here?'

'No,' Daniel replied automatically, realizing it was the truth. 'I just thought you were trying to get me to notice you, which it seems was your plan all along?'

'I like being noticed, and I like noticing other people.' Donally shrugged with an affable grin. 'You are hard not to notice. Just like that sexy redhead you married isn't either.'

'Oh she'd love hearing that,' he chuckled. 'Especially being twenty weeks pregnant.'

'Just means there's more of her to love.'

'Well isn't this cozy?'

Both Daniel and Donally turned their heads to see Andrea there, hands over her chest and her belly looking like a watermelon under her scrub top. 'Hey, honey,' Daniel started, then shut up when he saw the possessive, primal light in his wife's eyes. 'You want anything to drink?'

'Water. Ice cold water,' she said, her eyes on Donally's face the entire time as Daniel sprinted off. It wasn't a surprise to her the intern was trying to make a pass at her husband; the woman was gorgeous after all. Flowing chestnut brown hair and matching eyes, cute little freckles scattered like golden dust over her cheeks and nose, big boobs and most importantly a tiny ass that was still big enough for Andrea to leave a good mark on.

'Andrea-'

'Normally, I wouldn't consider myself the jealous type. My husband's a sexy piece of ass, but the emphasis in that sentence is the first word. He is _my_ husband and I don't share.'

'And I wouldn't want you too. Truth is...' Knowing it would throw her co-worker's wife right off track, Donally leaned in for a private whisper. 'That juicy booty wagon you're draggin' is more my speed. If I were trying to get into the pants of a Nurse Brick, they'd be yours.'

The idea of it, that a woman was actually hitting on her had Andrea feeling a little flush. 'Excuse me?'

'You're a hell of a woman, Andrea. You and my girlfriend even look a little bit alike. Grey eyes, red hair. I'm a sucker for a hot redhead, and you're definitely one of them.'

'Oh...my...' She swallowed deeply, moved by the kind of arousal Donally's words had stirred up. Apparently, her surging pregnancy hormones weren't limited to just Javier Esposito and Richard Castle and her husband. 'That's, um...very nice of you to say.'

'And the best part is, I bet you've got a raging case of horny soup inside you, right?'

'A little bit.'

'So go find yourself an on-call room with a sturdy bed and let the cellphone ring twice.'

'Thank you. And sorry about being cranky'

'No need to apologize.'

Just then, Daniel rounded the corner only to see Andrea turning and taking him by the wrist down the hall he'd just came from. 'Uh, sweetie, where are we going?'

'On-call room, to let the cellphone ring twice.'

'What?'

Andrea all but shoved him into an empty on-call room and locked the door behind her. She pulled off her scrub top, let her pants drop to the floor; she was back to her normal cute undies underneath and she was stripping off her socks and shoes before her bra hit the floor with the rest of her clothes. 'Take off your pants.'

'What?' Daniel repeated, unsure if he was reading this right.

'I'm sorry for jumping to conclusions about Donally, and I'm very very turned on right now, so you are going to take off your pants.'

He didn't have to be told a third time - Daniel untied the string on his own scrub pants and stepped out of them along with his boxers, then pulled of his top so the only article of clothing between them was Andrea's underwear. Reaching for her, he pulled her against him, then turned her so the hard length of him - the arousal so swift it bordered on brutal - pressed into the small of her back. He stroked his hands up and down her sides, reached around to squeeze and cup her breasts so that she whimpered in delight at his touch.

Daniel fastened his mouth to her throat, her shoulder where he could leave a little love-bite without it being obvious. It was beyond hot that his beautiful girl was having a little girl-on-girl flirtation and it was leading to this. His hand slipped down her body as he moved her towards the set of bunk-beds, where he closed her hands over the side rail, moved her leg to brace the side of the bed. 'Naughty, naughty,' he murmured in her ear, and slipped his hand between her thighs.

Andrea let her head fall back so his mouth covered hers and the sounds of their lovemaking were muted lest they be overheard at work. Her hips moved as swiftly as they could against his hand, those sturdy, working man's fingers pleasuring her and making her cry out. When his thumb brushed her trigger, she came so violently it was akin to a convulsion, and when she was still in the post-orgasm drift, he adjusted his grip on her hips and sank into her from behind. Daniel held her steady, kept his pace slow and even so she groaned deeply for him.

'Baby,' she moaned, her voice rusty and thick with lust, 'keep going, keep going.'

'I am.'

He moved one hand around to her front to support her belly, then slid the other up to link with hers on the upper-bunk railing. He felt her clench tightly around him and he moaned her name.

'Andrea, you-'

'Oh, God, baby, right there Daniel, right...yes!'

Daniel covered her mouth once more when she cried out; they were still technically at work after all. While she was riding high on the sensation, he gave her one last thrust and came in a satisfied groan inside her, then let his head loll forward so his chin rested on her shoulders.

'I have just one question,' he murmured in her ear.

'Mm?'

'What the hell did Donally say to you?'

'She said that I'm more her type and she was a sucker for a sexy redhead. Got me feeling all...tingly.'

'The idea of being with a woman turned you on?'

'I think a birch tree could have said what she said and I'd still have found you and banged you like a hammer on a nail.'

'Okay then so I guess that- hey!'

Daniel's hand jumped like he'd burned himself. He stared at his palm, then at Andrea. 'It kicked me!'

'Well, didn't the baby books say that would happen when the baby was big enough that we can feel it responding to my body as well?'

'Yeah, but I thought it was a gentle nudge, not a penalty shot in the World Cup.'

Andrea giggled, rubbed her belly where she could see it moving. 'Listen you, I know you're freaking out about why Daddy would make Mommy sound like that, but trust me, it's a very good reason why.'

'Yes, a very good reason he or she won't find out about until they are married.'

'That'd be rather hypocritical of us, dont you think?'

'Okay until she or he is in a loving, committed relationship.'

'I can deal with that.'

Daniel tugged his clothes back on, looked at his cell and saw his brother had called him twice. 'Fancy that,' he murmured, and dialed Sean back. 'Hey bro what's going on?'

Since her back was to him as she redressed, Andrea didn't see the colour leach out of her husband's face until she turned around and he was sitting on the bed, white faced and God help her, a little shaky. 'Daniel? Honey, what is it?'

'My father had a heart attack.'

'What?'

'He had a heart attack, he was having dinner with Sean while Stacey and Nathan were out of town, so he wouldn't be on his own. Sean said he went into the kitchen, and a few minutes later there was this terrible thud, and he found Dad...he found him in the kitchen unresponsive and unconscious.'

The happy post-coital glow was gone as Andrea pressed her fingertips to her mouth. 'Oh my god. Are they bringing him here or keeping him at the hospital in New Rochelle?'

'They bringing him to Stuyvesant Memorial, they've got the best cardiac unit in the city.' Daniel looked up at his wife. 'Andrea.'

'It's okay, my love, we're going to go find Honey-Milk and Harvey, tell them what's happened, and we'll get over there on the double.'

Without a single hesitation, Andrea pulled out her cellphone and hit speed dial six. 'Hey, Kate. It's Andrea, I know it's late but something's happened.

'Oh my god, what is it? Are you okay?'

'I'm fine, it's about Daniel's father. He had a heart attack and we're on our way to Stuyvesant Memorial to meet the ambulance.'

'Of course, honey, we'll see you shortly.' Beckett hung up, the jabbed Castle with her elbow. 'Wake up. Time to rally the troops.'


	45. Will You Be There A

The cab ride over to Stuyvesant Memorial was a long one. Andrea felt her husband clenching and unclenching her hand the entire time as he stared out the window.

'Daniel, I...I don't know what to say,' she murmured to him.

'Just stay with me.'

'Okay.'

They made it to the ER entrance, and despite his shocky state Daniel managed to keep it together when he approached the desk nurse. 'My name is Daniel Brick, my father is Daniel Brick he is a patient transfer from Royal Orange Medical in New Rochelle, he-'

'We have a Stefan Brick in trauma room six, date-of-birth two-eleven-fifty-two?'

'That's him.'

'Right this way.'

The woman led them down the hallway, and he felt a modicum of relief when he saw Cam walking down the hallway towards them, heading for the same room. 'Thanks, Nancy, I've got them from here. They're friends of mine.' Cam nodded at her, and she turned to walk back out to the ER. 'How you holding up?'

'I just got here, I want to know what's going on. Sean didn't have a lot of details.'

'The doctor's with him now, I'll see if I can get you anything.'

'What are you doing here?' Andrea blurted out. 'I thought you were at George Washington?'

'Still am. One of my old professors from nursing school was doing a triage seminar or mass-cas management and he invited me down. When I heard the call come in, he let me hang to be a go-between for you guys.'

A thousand questions tumbled through Daniel's mind, scrambling to get out of his mouth, but the only one that got through was, 'Is he still alive?'

'Oh yeah, and I was told he came around in the ambulance, asking for you and Sean. It was temporary but he was lucid and coherent.'

'That's good.' Andrea rubbed her husband's arm. 'Means there is more than likely no brain damage or other head injury.'

'I know,' he said shortly, then repeated a little more softly, 'I know, sweetie, thank you. Is Sean here?'

'Yeah he's down the hall in the lounge. He said his wife and son are on the way down from Rochester.'

'You should know, Cam, I called Kate and Richard,' Andrea told him, which had Cam chuckling.

'Oh man, you know we're gonna be knee deep in people now, right?'

'I want to see him.' Daniel found his voice again, and it was firm and set. 'I'm a nurse, Cameron, same as you. I can handle it.'

Cam nodded, and waited while he gave Andrea kiss as much for steeling his courage as for affection. They watched him disappear into the room, and Cam gave Andrea a little tap in the hip with his cane. 'How you doing?'

'Scared for Stefan, worried how Daniel's handling it. He thinks he needs to be Superman for everyone all the time, you know? I don't know what to do for him. I lost my father suddenly, and even then I still had my mother. Daniel...did he ever mention anything on poker nights to you about his mom?'

'No.'

'She was a drug addict, she'd gotten clean, then had Daniel and relapsed hard, and just took off. Stefan is the only parent he has ever known and if he lost him like this...' Andrea felt her throat close up, but she shook her head. 'No. No, I can't give in like that.'

'You won't get the chance,' Cam said, checking his phone that vibrated in his pocket. 'Lili just texted me, Honey-Milk and Kevin are on their way here, along with Kate and Richard, and Mere and Javi.'

'Oh that'll mean so much to him. You think...'

She trailed off when Daniel came out, still white-faced; it wasn't a look Andrea liked on her man. 'Daniel? What's the deal?'

'Not here. I need to say it to Sean too, all at once.'

'Okay.'

He took her hand, and both were quiet as they went down the hallway to a small waiting room, where they saw handsome Sean staring listlessly at the rerun of _How I Met Your Mother_ on the television. His eyes flicked up at the new arrivals in the room, and when he registered that it was his brother and sister-in-law he bolted up from his chair. Daniel caught the smaller man in his arms in a bear-hug, held him close.

'Daniel, what'd they say? Is he okay?'

'Let's sit down. Andrea needs to be off her feet.'

'Of course, of course.' Sean wormed out of his brother's grip, took Andrea's hand to lead her over to the rickety couch; Daniel took the chair across from them. He sucked in a bracing breath and ripped the band-aid off. 'Dad's in a coma, Sean.'

'Oh, Jesus. Should we call Father Reilly? Dad and him always fought, but he did our baptisms and Dad would want the last rites, and-'

'Sean.' Daniel laid a hand on his brother's knee. 'It's not that kind of coma. It's medically-induced. It means the doctor's given him drugs to keep his brain activity low.'

'And that's good, even though he had a head injury?'

'The head injury was a glancing blow, it's his heart that the doctor is concerned with. Giving him these drugs, it'll allow his body to focus on healing itself. Once they wake him up, they'll tell us what kind of surgery he needs.'

'Surgery?' Sean's white face turned a little green at the idea of his father being cut open. 'You think he'll need surgery?'

'It's a given, Sean. They'll either want to put in a stent to keep the vein open or correct the defect with surgery right away.'

Had it been anyone else, Andrea would have thought Daniel was being condescending but Sean had zero head for medical knowledge and was never ashamed to admit that he needed it in clear layman's terms. She looked between the brothers and for a moment, saw two very scared little boys just hoping their father was okay. It was a feeling Andrea could definitely relate to. 'Sean, the doctor wouldn't do this if he didn't think it was the best route. Two guys who you'll never see play the wait-and-watch game are neuro and cardio.'

'Neuro, that's the head guys right?'

'Yeah.'

'Excuse me.'

All three looked over to see Cam standing in the doorway. 'They're moving him upstairs.'

* * *

><p>When Andrea walked into the hospital room with her husband and his brother, the first thought she had was 'there's been a mistake'. Stefan Brick was a boisterous, loud-and-proud Irishman with florid colour in his cheeks and a saucy joke on his tongue. The body lying in bed surrounded by tubes and machines looked more like a wax model that was going to be used in a zombie movie.<p>

'He can hear us, the doctor said we should take turns sitting with him and talking to him about current events so when he wakes up, he won't panic and think he's missed a lot,' Daniel said.

'You mind if I stay with him first?' Sean asked hesitantly. 'I just...I'd like a little alone time with him.'

'Of course. Andrea, you need to eat.'

'I'm fine.'

Daniel shook his head as he put his arm around Andrea, guided her out of the room. 'Okay, even if you're not hungry, the baby needs a snack.'

'We'll get pizza or pasta or something ordered in.'

'Sean would probably like pasta. He's a stress-eater, he'll want the carbs.'

They turned into the lounge and for the first time since hearing the news, Daniel felt a little bit of his shock wear off: sitting in the lounge of the ICU was Beckett, Castle, Ryan, Meredeth, Esposito, Lanie and Dave; surprisingly, all were without their kids. 'How...what are you all doing here?'

'Andrea called me,' Beckett replied in an even voice, though inside she was crying for the look on the man's face, 'and then we called everyone else, let them know about your dad and whoever could come down did.'

'You called them?' Daniel looked at his wife, who nodded and gave him a gentle smile.

'We needed our family here.'

For Daniel it was the breaking point. He let out a shaky breathing as the icy ball of tension in his melted and flooded him, overwhelming him. He pressed a hand to his eyes as he tried not to embarrass himself. But it was a wasted effort, as he felt strong arms pull him in for a manly bear hug and he heard Castle's voice murmuring to him like he was a child.

'We got your back, bro. We'll sit with him, take care of Andrea and the baby, whatever you need.'

'I brought snacks, too. Iced tea, cookies, salad and pasta,' Meredeth added helpfully, then looked at Andrea and the other women. 'Why don't we go find some plates, maybe some forks and knives?'

'Sure, I remember where the cafeteria is from when the Ry-Sposito monster was in here a few years back,' Beckett said. 'C'mon Andrea.'

'We got him, Lady Brick,' Esposito assured her. 'Your man's in good hands.'

The quartet of women left, leaving Daniel with his boys and when they were alone, Castle let the man go. 'Bet that feels a little different than when your woman holds you close, huh?' he asked, making Daniel laugh a little.

'You're taller but she's got a better body for snuggling.'

'You mean better boobs, right?' Esposito chuckled and passed Daniel his bamboo handkerchief. 'So, what happened? How is he?'

'Sean said they were having dinner together, Dad went into the kitchen and then he - Sean - heard this big thud and he found him unconscious and unresponsive. He has no head trauma, but they've put him in a medically-induced coma to let his body power down and take time to heal. Once he's out of it, we'll know if he needs surgery to fix an artery or if he'll just need a stent.'

'That makes sense.' Dave scratched his nose. 'You want the body to be in as best possible shape going into a surgery, and giving him the down-time like that to let his body repair itself is a great way to make sure that happens.'

'How's Andrea holding up?' Ryan asked, thinking of when his own wife had been pregnant and he'd been put in that very hospital by a suspect attempting to flee the scene. He wouldn't wish that stress on anyone.

'Andrea is the goddess in the flesh. She didn't try to be cheery or optimistic, she let me be scared and held my hand, and never left my side.' Daniel dragged a hand over her face. 'She's putting on a brave face for me, and I'm supposed to be there for her right now.'

'Hey.' Cam used his quietly authoritative voice. 'You're there for each other. The first thing she did was call us all up because she knew you would need us. That's what a good woman does, and she's one of the best.'


	46. Will You Be There B

The night passed slowly, but to Daniel's amazement, none of them ever left or wavered. Those some of the families changed representatives - Lili came in so Cam could go home before he had to work the next morning - none of them budge once except to give Daniel, Sean and Andrea a break. Castle, in his usual style, made sure they stayed fed after Meredeth's treats ran out. Beckett had called Montgomery, let him know there was a family friend having an emergency and he'd cut the three detectives a little slack, saying he would see them at ten instead of eight the next morning.

When Sean had needed a break, they'd given him the same loving welcome Daniel and Andrea had received - they plied him with food and tea, gave him the shoulder he needed to rest his aching head on while his little brother stayed with their dad. Castle had lent Daniel his new Kindle and downloaded the James Patterson book his father was in the middle of reading so Daniel could read aloud to him. It nearly had Andrea breaking, as she remembered being a little girl in bed with bronchitis and her father reading to her while she drank warm Chai tea while snuggled under her quilt.

By just past midnight, Daniel saw Andrea fighting the yawns and wincing. The baby was giving her hell for staying up too late. She rubbed her belly and shifted in her seat just as Sean came back into the room.

'Daniel why don't you take Andrea home?' he suggested softly. 'I'm still waiting up here for Stacey and Nathan, and I've got a hotel room two blocks away from here on hold on my Mastercard.'

'I'm fine, just let me lie down in that spare bed,' Andrea mumbled though her eyelids were drooping shut.

'No, Andrea, you need proper rest,' Daniel insisted.

'You both need it.'

Daniel glanced over, saw Lili there. 'We're the closest to the hospital and we've got a pull out sofa Cam and I can sleep on,' she told him. 'You can have some rest, a shower, and I can run to your apartment to get you fresh clothes while you spend a little time with Rosie and Duncan.'

'No, really, we couldn't do that,' Andrea protested, but Lili merely arched her dark eyebrow.

'Andrea, my husband is a decorated lieutenant, formerly of the USMC, and he doesn't dare give me that kind of back-talk. You are coming home with me, and so is Daniel.'

* * *

><p>The apartment was homey, and smelled of rich spices most likely from Lili's cooking from dinner. The walls were covered in family photos, awards from Cam's military career, and what appeared to be a farm of some kind in Puerto Rico. While Andrea and Daniel removed their coats, Lili went straight to the living room couch and moved cushions to pull out the comfortable looking foldaway-bed. She straightened up, turned to look at her guests.<p>

'I'll be right back. The kettle is in the kitchen, it's electric if you want tea. The decaf green is in the little blue and white jar above the kettle.'

She disappeared into the master bedroom, and Daniel, exhausted from the long day and night, sat down on the edge of the pull-out. 'Andrea, you need to sleep, sweetie. I mean really sleep. You've been at work all day and now this...with my dad-'

'Hey.' Andrea bent over as far as she could and kissed his forehead. 'I love you. I am with you until the day I die.'

'If you're gonna love him up, please do so in more private settings, like an actual bedroom.'

Turning, Andrea and Daniel saw Cam there, his wiry bantam body loosely draped with a Yankees t-shirt and blue sleep-pants; his limp was even more obvious in his fatigued state. 'Go on, shoo, shoo,' he mumbled, waving his hands at them. 'We'll talk in the morning.'

'Give me your keys, I'll run to your place and get you some fresh things.' Lili came back, held out her hands. 'You need your prenatal vitamins too. Are you okay to sleep in your underwear?'

Andrea nodded, handed them over. 'I'm much more comfy without a lot of clothes to sleep in right now anyways.'

'Okay. Down the hall on the right.'

Daniel stood up as Lili tugged her coat and shoes on, led Andrea into their friends' room which they'd so graciously lent. He sighed deeply, tugged off his clothes so he was in his boxers; he didn't care it was in someone else's bed. He tucked himself under the covers, waited for Andrea to join him, just as half-naked as he was. He turned to her, breathed deep her scent of shea butter and key-lime basil. His wife, his most precious gem, was always both arousal and comfort. With a gentle touch, he stroked his hand down her side, over her belly where their baby was beginning to settle for the night.

'Andrea,' he murmured, 'I love you.'

'I love you too, Daniel.'

'You need to rest, please let me take care of you.'

'Daniel, I can't ask that of you.'

'You're not. I'm asking it of you. I need to look after you right now, I need...I need to be able to do something and see the results right away.'

She turned onto her side to face him, the bump nestled between them. 'Whatever you need me to do, I'll do it for you. That's part of the marriage deal.'

'Let me make you breakfast in the morning.'

'Let's make it lunch, okay? I want you to rest. No,' she emphasized, putting her finger to his lips. 'You need to rest as well.'

'Deal.'

Andrea picked up his arm by the wrist and rolling so she spooned against him, and draped it over her body; within minutes they were both asleep.

* * *

><p>The next morning Daniel rolled over to find Andrea already up from their Lili-mandated nap. Anxiety at how he had all but begged her to let him dote on her even when his father was in a coma chewed at his insides like a gremlin. Her unwavering support and love meant the world to him, it was certainly helping him get through these first hours, but at the same time he didn't want his pregnant wife to have to worry about anything but taking care of their unborn child. He was so tired from trying to hold everything together so she wouldn't worry herself into her own hospital bed and have complications in her pregnancy.<p>

Daniel groaned as he rolled onto his back, stared at the ceiling. This level of emotional exhaustion was the kind of situation that usually would have him calling his dad. He had never seen his father crack, even when they'd gotten word that Daniel and Sean's mother had been found dead in an alley in Texas; Daniel never remembered him breaking down. His dad was his rock who had never wavered, always been there, and loved him unconditionally. Faced with the prospect of losing one of the few anchors in his life Daniel was overcome.

The tears he'd been holding in, even when being caught in Castle's sturdy embrace, flowed unrestrained down his face and he barely could catch his breath as he tried to staunch the sobs that overtook him. He covered his mouth with his hand to at least quiet the noise so as not to draw attention to himself. Only the sound of the door opening softly gave some impetus to try and pull it together again. He quickly sat up facing away from the door and scrubbed his face in an attempt to hide his breakdown from his wife. Keeping his eyes focused on the floor he was too distracted to notice the much lighter tread coming around the bed. Only the vision of two little feet in front of him rather than his beloved's usual sassy green manicure made him look up startled to meet little Rosie's grave stare.

'What's wrong, Daniel?' Rosie asked softly with obvious concern for her favorite big-guy.

Daniel cleared his throat and stumbled his way through a reply. 'You know my daddy is in the hospital, right Rosie?'

'Uh-huh. Mami said he his heart did some-thing it wasn't a-ppose to do.'

'Well I'm worried for him, if he's going to be okay, and...well thinking too much about that made me a little sad.'

Rosie nodded sagely and climbed up to perch next to Daniel, resting her head on his shoulder. She patted his bulky arm with her delicate little hand while she commiserated with him as though he were one of the 12th's second generation gang. 'Like when I feel bad about Daddy's knee?'

'Your daddy's knee?'

'He walks with his stick. What if the kids at school tease me about my daddy?'

'You've got me to back you up, sweetie-pie,' he replied and Rosie giggled.

'My In-ker-di-bi-ble Daniel.'

Daniel was taken aback but went with the explanation. "Well, I don't feel too incredible right now. But let's not tell Andrea, she might worry I am losing my super powers."

Rosie reached little arms around his neck for a squeeze and kiss on his cheek. She batted her green eyes flirtatiously at him. 'I promise, Daniel, but don't worry. An-duh-ree will moosh it better. You her supa-hero.'

Daniel gave his pint sized caregiver a gentle squeeze; when he heard the sound of his wife's laugh, clogged with tears, coming from the doorway, he glanced over and wasn't surprised to see her eyes streaming with a maelstrom of emotions.

'Exactly right Rosita,' Andrea said, hoping her voice was steadier than she felt. 'Sometimes the hero rescues us... and sometimes if they let us we rescue them right back."

'Like sharing. That's a good deal,' Rosie decided, gave Andrea's belly a rub when the woman sat down beside her husband. 'You hear that, baby? You have the In-ker-di-bi-ble Daniel and Supa-Woman An-duh-ree for a mami and daddy.

'Rosie?'

'Yes, An-duh-ree?'

'How do you know so much about comic book characters?'

'_Tante_ Meredeth teach me. She knows a lot about that stuff. She is very smart. She made her own supa-hero.'

'Hey, can you do me a favour, Rosie?' Andrea asked, and when the little girl nodded, she continued, 'can you go to the bathroom and bring me some tissues?'

When the little girl was gone, Andrea shifted so she was looking at Daniel squarely. 'Honey, if you need to break, break. Don't hold it in, that's how you get cancer.'

Daniel chuckled for what felt like the first time in awhile. 'Duly noted.'

'I think we should name the baby after our dads.'

'Yeah?'

'They had the same name, even the same spelling,' Andrea reminded him, 'and that's a rare thing, so I think if it's a boy, his name should be Stefan-Something Hennessey Brick.'

'And if it's a girl?'

'Stefanie-Something Hennessey Brick.'

'I think that is a beautiful idea. Hear that,' Daniel told the bump. 'We're a little closer to giving you a name other than hitch-hiker. You like that idea?'

The baby responded with a nudge under his hand. 'I'll take that as a yes.'

* * *

><p>R&amp;R&amp;Enjoy<p> 


	47. The Waiting Game

When Daniel and Andrea arrived back at the hospital for nine-thirty, they weren't surprised to see Sean already there. To see Meredeth with Tessi and the twins, as well as Mallory Ryan and RJ Castle was a little bit of a shock; they were all crowded around the foot of Stefan's bed. Tessi was drawing with Mallory on the rolling-foot table while RJ and Meredeth were watching the twins - Meredeth had Trini on her lap while Sean was actually cuddling up Leo; Meredeth was read the morning's CNN feed from her iPhone to Stefan.

'Let's see, in other non-depressing news, oh this is cute the gay penguins at the New York zoo adopted an abandoned egg and are raising it as their own. Oh and the producers of _Valhalla Rising_ decided to cast Gaspar Noel as the human incarnation of Loki. That is going to be interesting considering the man is French, not a Norseman.'

'Mami, look, I drrr-aw a pisher for Misser Brick.' Tessi held up her paper for her mother's inspection, and then Sean's. 'Misser Brick, I drr-aw for you' daddy.'

'It's a band-aid on a heart,' Sean replied, trying to fight the little laugh.

'Uh-huh, he hurt his heart. It need a Ban-aid, like Dell finger.'

'Dell nee-nills ouchie,' Mallory added, hoping to help make her friend's case. 'Misser Bick hear' ouchie.'

'I'm sure he'll be very thankful for all of your lovely thoughts.'

RJ, who was ignoring the doodling Tessi and Mallory, was quite content playing with his favourite twin's toes and making her giggle. 'Me-wee, Tee-nee bo-bill?'

'No, honey, she doesn't need a bottle yet.' Meredeth didn't know whether to be charmed with RJ's fascination with Trini or concerned that the sons of the two most incurably flirty men she'd ever met had both taken a shine to her little girls. But regardless, she did like how RJ spending time with Trini kept her occupied and happy. 'She just finished her breakfast before we got here.'

'Hey, hope we're not interrupting tea-time,' Daniel said as he walked in behind Andrea; all the little heads looked over at the newcomers and scrambled up to give them both hugs.

'Hi Daniel, Hi An-de-ah. How baby?' She rubbed the belly, gave it a little kiss. 'Baby bigga.'

'Yes, the baby's a lot bigger now.'

'It move!' Mallory's eyes went big with excitement. 'Tessi, Ah-Shay, baby move'!'

At this, Tessi and RJ came over to each put a hand on Andrea's belly, making the rest of the grown-ups laugh quietly. RJ blinked his eyes, wrinkled up his nose. 'Feel funny, Annie?'

'A little bit.'

'Me-wee, Tee-nee do too?'

Meredeth couldn't contain her chuckles anymore and let out the giggles. 'Yes, little Romeo, Trini did that too.'

'No' Wo-meo. I Ah-Shay.'

'Mami mean you fuh-lirty,' Tessi said. 'Rr-omeo meean fuh-lirty.'

Now it was Daniel's turn to goggle a little bit. 'Where'd you learn that word?'

'Take a wild guess,' Meredeth mumbled to him with a wink.

'Ah, yes, of course. Here, Andrea, sit down, baby.' Daniel pulled over one of the padded armchairs for his bride to sit on, and not surprisingly, Mallory crawled into her lap. 'Carefully, Mally.'

'I wash baby.'

'An-duh-ree? Tell baby grrr-acias for bee-day prrr-seant,' Tessi said, returning to her crayons and colouring book. 'I love it.'

'You're very welcome sweetheart.' Andrea smiled as she rubbed her belly where the baby was kicking something fierce. 'Daniel-'

'What is it, honey?'

'Could I have a snack? Something crunchy, like carrots?'

'And? I know my wife, Andrea,' Daniel teased her, 'what else does the baby want?'

'Turkey BLT on wheat with pretzels and honey-mustard.'

He kissed her, winked. 'I'll be back in a few.'

Meredeth watched him go, then looked at Andrea. She was doing her best not to judge, and she knew her friend wasn't so selfish that she would make her grief-stricken husband do bloody everything. Fortunately, she was saved any awkward conversation when Andrea gave her and understanding look.

'Daniel told me this morning the way for him to stay sane in all of this is to baby me, because he can see the concrete results,' she told her friend. 'He's a man of action, you know? He likes to see the product of work right away. It's why he's good at his job. He can see if he gives a patient this drug, they'll be unconscious for their operation.'

'I understand. It's like when Ryan was fussing over Jenny because she'd decided she wanted Dell to be a natural birth and we had to all but scrape him off the ceiling.'

'It might make me seem selfish and spoiled and lazy on the surface, but I don't care because it means my husband isn't losing his mind with worry.'

'It's who he is,' Sean added, pulling his earbuds out. 'When Stacey was in the hospital having Nathan, he was constantly fetching us both water and whatever we wanted.'

'Where are they, even?' Andrea asked curiously.

'Having a rest at the hotel. They got here after you and Daniel left, so I could get some rest, and now it's her turn to sleep. Nathan's with her, he's more than a little confused and scared.'

'No be suh..suh..suh-cared,' Tessi said with a little bit of effort, 'He here gettin' better.'

'Thanks, princess.'

The doctor turned into the room then and gave a little sigh. 'I wish someone had told me this little party was going on,' he said with a little bit of playfulness. 'It would have been much more fun than doing second-rounds this morning.'

'We vissin' Misser Brick,' Tessi said, then began to organizing her papers. 'Cuh..come on, Mally and RJ. Tidy-up time.'

'O-kay, Tizzy.'

To Andrea's amazement, the toddlers all scooped up their play things and RJ helped Meredeth hold the pram steady so she and Sean could put the twins in. Her heart melted a little when she saw RJ give Trini a little kiss on the cheek and high-five Leo before the group of extra visitors all went out of the room, presumably down to the little lounge. As they exited, Daniel came back in with a small bag from the hospital cafeteria of snacks.

'I got us all something to...oh, sorry, Doc. Didn't know you were here.'

'Just. Please close the door.'

Danie felt the pit of his stomach sink down, but he shut the door for the privacy the doctor requested. 'So what's the deal?'

'We've been monitoring him closely and we're going to be taking him down for a couple of tests this morning to determine if we will put in the stent or if we will be doing the arterial repair right away.'

'Shouldn't you just repair the artery right away?' Sean inquired, scared he wouldn't understand what was being discussed. 'Both are surgeries, right? Why not do the bigger one now so you don't have to do it twice?'

'You are right, Mister Brick, that both would be surgical procedures, however there is your father's health to consider, how much strain his heart can handle so soon after a major cardiac event.'

'Of course.'

'How long of a wait are we talking, Doctor?' Daniel asked, looking at his father surrounded by tubes and machines. 'A day, a week, two weeks?'

'We will have a better idea of that once we take him down for these tests. I need to speak to you about DNR and end-of-life decision making.'

'No, absolutely not,' Sean said immediately, looking at his brother who nodded.

'Our father has is in his living will, which I am executor of, that he wants every possible medical measure taken to give him a fighting chance,' Daniel said evenly. 'He's a fighting Irishman, he will go bare-knuckles to the bitter end.'

'Alright. In that case, we're taking him to have his tests done and hopefully we'll have some answers for you after lunch.'

'Can I...would it be alright for me to come down, wait outside the room for him?' Sean asked hesitantly. 'I just don't want him to be alone, you know?'

'Of course not.'

The doctor opened the door back up and two nurses came in; it took all of Andrea's patience and training not to jump in and help. It wasn't her place to do that, not this time. Right now, she was the concerned, pregnant daughter in law who would let other well-qualified medical staff do their thing, just like she did for other people's family members.

Sean followed the bed out like an honour guard, and Daniel picked up Andrea's hand, kissed the back of it. 'Come on, sweetheart, let's go update the rest of the family.'

* * *

><p>Two hours later, Andrea and Daniel were sitting in the lounge with Meredeth and the napping children, waiting for something, anything from the results of Stefan's tests. It was hard to be on the other side of the clipboard, Daniel realized, but even worse to be on the other side of the clipboard when it wasn't yourself, but a loved one. The driving urge to do what came naturally as nurses for both himself and Andrea was blocked by the fact they weren't at their own hospital, nor were either of them cardiac specialists.<p>

'How much longer is it going to be?' he grumbled. 'We should know something by now, those kinds of tests don't take that long.'

As if on cue, Sean appeared at the lounge doorway. 'Hey, doctor has some news for us.'

They returned once more to Stefan's room, and Andrea could have sworn her father-in-law's colour was a thousand times healthier than it was that morning. The doctor closed the door behind him, flipped through the pages on Stefan's chart.

'So, the damage isn't as bad as we initially thought. It's only one artery that had collapsed, not two, which means we are going to go ahead with the arterial repair on Thursday.'

'Thursday?' Sean looked sick, glanced at Daniel. 'Three days from now is okay?'

'Yeah, they'll need time to wake Dad up and let those drugs work through his system so there's no risk of an interaction.'

'It's standard procedure,' Andrea added.

'You're very knowledgeable for laypeople ,' the doctor commented. 'Sometimes we get people in here who like to read medical journals and textbooks, they go on Doctor Internet to make themselves sound smarter than they are.'

'Actually, I'm a nurse anesthetist at Saint Vincent's, and my wife is a pediatric triage nurse at the same hospital,' Daniel replied, and the doctor made an 'ah' noise.

'Yes, well, either way, what's important is that you are here and listening and supportive.'

The comment made no sense to either Daniel or Andrea - she couldn't even remember the doctor's name half the time - but they didn't care, as this was the man who was going to fix Stefan's heart. They watched him glance at his watch, click his pen shut.

'We'll be bringing him around in about an hour or so.'


	48. Calm Waters Once More: 22 Weeks

'You sure this is a good idea? He's been through a lot the last two weeks.'

'Just trust me. He needs it.'

Shane made an 'if you say so' face at Castle's back as he followed him to the poker table with a bowl of pretzels, another of ice the writer would fill with beers and Strongbow hard cider - Daniel's favourite. The two of them, along with Dave and Esposito were having Daniel over for a pregnant-wife-free, hassle-free, stress-free boys night that would consist of poker, beer, and manly gifts for Daniel to celebrate his imminent fatherhood. It sucked that Ryan wasn't going to be there, or Cam and Gil for that matter, as Cam was working nights and Ryan and Gil both had prior family commitments. But the others were still going to rock the poker table and the stork-iness with the same awesome style they did everything else.

There was a knock on the door, and Castle crammed a pretzel into his mouth, noshed it down when he answered it to Daniel, gave him a wide grin.

'Hey big daddy, how's it going?'

'Good, good. Things are a little calmer now.'

Castle nodded, and left the door open when he saw Dave getting off the elevator. 'Nice of you to join us. You just get out of the shower?' he added, looking at the Italian's damp, curling hair.

'It's pouring outside, how are you not soaked, Daniel?'

'I cabbed it here, didn't wanna walk.'

Dave nodded, shrugged a little. 'Got anything to drink?'

'Beer and hard cider.'

'I'll have the second one.'

Castle nodded, and Daniel wandered over to the poker table where Shane was unloading the stacks of chips, dividing them equally for the five seats at the table. 'How's Alexis doing in medical school?' Daniel asked, knowing his latest personal saga would become their gossip fodder soon enough.'

'Really well, it's a tonne of work but she loves it.'

'How's it working so far with the long distance thing?'

'Believe it or not, it's a hell of a lot easier than it was the first year of our relationship. I don't have to wait to call her at a certain time because of the five-hour difference. And because of that, I can use a day off to make a day trip down to see her, even if I'm just Mister-Mom it for her.'

'Seriously?' Daniel looked to Castle for back-up, felt his eyebrows lift when the writer nodded.

'She'll be at class and studying, he'll help her with her laundry or make her lunch or dinner or whatever. Those are the moments I know they'll work out.'

'If he's like that now, imagine what he'll be like when she's pregnant,' Dave teased his friend and enjoyed watching Castle's face go pale as the bowl of ice.

'Not cool, David. That is so far from cool, I don't even know if there is a word for it.'

There was a knock on the door, and Dave opened it to Esposito; the shoulders of his jacket were soaked from the late April rain. 'Man, it's really coming down out there.'

'I know,' Shane concurred as he began to shuffle the cards. 'Why I bothered showering after that double-decomp, I have no idea.'

'So we wouldn't make you wear a bio-harzard suit,' Castle replied.

'Hey, take it easy on your future son-in-law, Pops,' Shane teased right back. 'Which reminds me. My dad might be in town in a few weeks, you up for a visit?'

'Sure.'

'Checking out Alexis' in-laws.' Dave whistled, just because he knew it would egg his friend on. 'That's a big step, Richard. Think you're ready for it?'

'You are awfully chipper tonight, EMT Robbins. Lanie give you sex on the kitchen floor before you came here or something?'

'Or something,' he echoed, not bothering to correct him it was actually the living room floor while Carey and Violet were out with their _nona_ who was in town and wanted to take her grand-babies out for dinner that night. He glanced around, saw Daniel had gone to the men's room. 'Hey, what'd you get Daniel?'

'You'll see soon enough, Nosy-Rosie,' Esposito replied, putting the small wrapped parcel on the living room table with Dave, Shane and Castle's gifts. 'There any beer?'

When Daniel came back and they sat down with their drinks to play cards, he let out a little sigh of contentment. It was so nice to have this oasis in what had been a truly roller-coaster month. There had been the early Easter, then Tessi's birthday, then his own father getting sick, then a report on a one-hundred-percent healthy baby from Andrea's amnio test, capped off with seeing his father home safely after his bypass surgery. To be able to sit and play cards while drinking beer and bragging about their women in manly ways had him very relaxed indeed.

'Daniel, it's to you, bro.'

'Oh, right.' He glanced at his cards - a jack and a ten of clubs. Not bad but there were so many ways it could go. He tossed a few chips into the pot. 'I'll raise ten.'

'Call.' Esposito gave him a nudge in the elbow. 'Thinking about your baby mama?'

'In a manner of speaking.'

'Don't worry, I'm sure she and Lanie are having a great time eating chocolate and watching those prissy girlie movies my wife is so fond of,' Dave reassured him, tossing in his hand. 'What is it about women and chocolate ice cream and Meg Ryan?'

'You got me. My wife would more likely watch _Saving Private Ryan_,' Esposito commented. 'She doesn't do rom-coms.'

'Alexis usually goes for old school romance like _Casablanca _or _The Philadelphia Story_,' Shane added. 'Okay, read 'em and weep.'

He turned over the cards, which had Dave and Esposito groaning, but Daniel hanging onto his hand at the sight of the three of clubs, the two of hearts and the nine of clubs. He rolled his tongue over his teeth. 'I'm in for twenty.'

'I'll go in for twenty.'

'Call.'

Shane flipped the cards and Daniel nearly leaped for joy when he saw the ace of clubs but he kept it together. He was going to take Richard Castle for a little ride. 'I'm in for ten.'

'Look out big spender,' Shane said dryly. 'Castle?'

'See your ten and raise you twenty.'

'Raise you twenty,' Daniel said back.

'Call.'

'Okay, here we go.' Shane flipped the last card and this time Castle's face split into a mask of giddy, smug rejoicing.

'Oh yes, look at that lovely little trio of tres.'

'Yeah, but it's not as pretty as my flush of clubs,' Daniel replied, putting down his hand and raking in the chips with a little 'oops' look. As he stacked the little gaming tiles into neat columns, he felt Esposito give him a slap on the shoulder. 'What?'

'I think it's a little curse in our family. The guy at the poker table with the pregnant wife always cleans us out.'

'The hell it is,' Castle retorted, shuffling the cards. 'It's just one hand, we'll see how the rest of the night goes.'

* * *

><p>'Honey, I'm home!'<p>

Andrea, who was reading on the couch in the living room, glanced up to see her husband coming in the door, a large cloth grocery bag in his hand. She put her book down, and tried to lever herself off the couch without much success. It was becoming easier and easier to anchor into a place when she sat down. 'What is all that?' she asked laughingly.

'Daddy-to-be swag. Apparently men get baby showers too, in a manner of speaking.'

'Do they now?'

Daniel set his bag of parcels down on the living room couch so he could give his wife a proper kiss hello. 'In Richard Castle's world, it comes with poker, hard cider and the original _Die Hard_.'

'Oooh, let's see what you got.'

'These aren't baby presents, though, these are things for me,' he reminded her, 'as the new daddy-to-be things that I will find useful for myself, the day of the birth and afterwards too. Although one of them actually is a set for us both.'

'Sure, sure, let's see it.'

Daniel reached in, pulled out Dave's gift first. 'It's a gift certificate to The Granite Club, that men's health spa on Lexington and Sixth-Second. A chance for me to feel pampered after weeks of two-am feedings and midnight diaper patrol. Lanie gave Dave an afternoon there for his birthday when Violet was born and he loved it.'

'Nice. What else?'

'This is from Castle, it's a copy of _The Mat-Leave Mysteries_. It's like a choose-your-own-adventure murder-mystery video game,' he explained. 'They're going to be mass producing these, they're pre-Rook mysteries from the Nikki Heat series. Castle said Kate and Meredeth absolutely loved them when they were having RJ and the twins.'

'And how is this for you, because I wanna play it too. It looks like fun.'

'Because this way I have something nice and grisly when I'm too cutesy-cutesied out by baby stuff. And there is this, this is the one from Shane that's the double up.' Daniel passed Andrea two kitten-soft cotton shirts.

She unfolded them, saw Daniel's first - a rich navy-blue and on the front in blow-torch blue lettering it read 'Who's Your Daddy'. Andrea looked at the other one and began to laugh her wheezy-dolphin laugh, the one she saved for when she was really tickled about something: the t-shirt was navy blue as well, with the same bright-blue letters, only hers read 'Brick House' with a little arrow pointing down to where her baby bump would be well and truly visibly underneath the gentle fabric.

'Oh, my God, these are fantastic!' she giggled.

'You think that's good, check this out. This one is from Castle.' Daniel held out what looked like a credit card. 'It's a prepaid taxi-card for when you have middle of the night contractions or false alarms, so we don't have to worry about having cash on hand or running up our credit card bills.'

'Isn't that sweet of them,' Andrea crooned. 'You've got a great group of friends.'

'We both do.' Daniel wrapped his arms around his wife, pulled so she was tipped sideways leaning against his chest as he propped himself against one of the comfy pillows on the couch. 'How was your night?'

'Oh, you know, the usual things girls do. Smoke cigars, swilling scotch, discussing politics and porn in equal measure.'

'Wouldn't be a great night without that,' he agreed blithely, making her laugh.

'Lanie and I watched _When Harry Met Sally_ and snacked on popcorn and tea.'

'Step back, Lindsay Lohan, there's a new wild woman in town.'

'Well, you wanna see wild?' Andrea craned her neck to nip at his jawline. 'Meet me in the bedroom in five minutes.'

* * *

><p>R&amp;R&amp;Enjoy<p> 


	49. Do the Right Thing

Daniel was in the middle of brushing his teeth while Andrea was getting her morning shower when the house-line rang. Spitting into the sink, he left the bathroom and answered.

'Hello?'

'Hello, Daniel? It's Agnes.'

'How are you?' When he heard the woman's breath hitch, Daniel leaned against the kitchen counter. 'Agnes? Are you okay?'

'No. No, I'm not, I haven't been for awhile now. I...I really want to talk to Andrea, I need to apologize to her for what I said when I was shopping with her.'

'That was over a month ago, Agnes, a lot's happened since then.'

'I just...I did a lot of soul searching and my courage, it's, well...I've stopped drinking, I've been going to a clinic down here in the Bahamas.'

'And you're on the forgiveness step already?' Daniel asked a little tersely. 'If you want to do this, if you want to be part of her life, and ours together, and our child's, you need to do better than this Agnes.'

'I want to, tell me what I can do, or better yet, let me talk to Andrea.'

'She's in the shower, I'll tell her you called, but please don't be surprised if you don't hear from her.'

'Okay. Thank you, Daniel. Hopefully I'll talk to you soon.'

'Bye-bye.'

Daniel hung up the phone, and sighing, bounced it against his palm. It had been bothering him since he'd heard about the verbal sparring that had happened at the baby-clothes boutique that Andrea was being so belligerent in ignoring the fact she could develop a relationship with her mother.

Heading into the bathroom, he knew he was risking a lot by bringing it up but Daniel wouldn't do it if he didn't think it was necessary. 'Your mom was on the phone, Andrea,' he said to her through the shower curtain.

'What did she want?'

'To talk to you, she sounded pretty stirred up.'

'Means she was probably into the vodka.'

'She was sober, Andrea. Said she'd been into a clinic in the Bahamas and wants to make amends with you.'

There was no answer, just the sound of the water being shut off. When she zipped back the curtain, Daniel saw his wife there, the lina-negra on her belly looking like a wiggly-worm tattoo as the baby kicked inside her. Her hair was dark-red with the damp water, and her eyes stormy as seas. 'She can go to hell,' Andrea replied. 'Telling me that I should try and look slimmer for you, that maybe I should try the So-Cal diet while I was pregnant? I don't need that in my life.'

'No but you need your mother, Andrea. She deserves to have a good influence in her life like you,' he pointed out.

Andrea sighed out her nose. 'Daniel, I don't want to fight with you-'

'Neither do I-'

'-But I don't understand what good could possibly come from trying to mend fences with my mother. She's never been there for me when I needed her, why the sudden change of heart now?'

'Maybe it's because she knows she'll be a grandmother for the first time. That news can change you up. I mean, hell, my dad's friend Jana, she quit smoking when Sean and Stacey found out she was pregnant so when they visited my dad and she was around there was no risk of second-hand smoke.' Daniel sat on the closed toilet seat lid, patted Andrea's legs down to help her dry them off. 'Andrea I love you, and I really want to see you resolve some of your family problems.'

'Isn't that my decision to make?'

'Absolutely, and I'll stand with you whatever you decide to do.' He paused. 'All I know is that I never got the chance to know my mother, and she's reaching out to you. Might be worth the price of the phone call just to see what she wants.'

'Okay. Okay, I'll give you that. I'll email her later, tell her she can call after your dad leaves. What time is he getting here?'

'The clinic is dropping him off around ten. And it's about ten after seven, which means I have to go.'

Andrea nodded, lips curving as she kissed him. 'I love you.'

'I love you too.'

* * *

><p>As promised, Stefan arrived at Andrea's apartment at precisely ten-oh-two. Stefan was staying in Douglas House, the hospital's on-going rehab clinic, he was given day-passes on his off-days and was using them to visit with his son and daughter-in-law. Like today, Andrea thought, as she and Stefan sat on the soft mats in the living room, following along with the prenatal yoga DVD playing on the screen. His colour was still patchy, coming and going, so Andrea the Triage Nurse kept a weather eye on him as she patted the sweat off of her neck.<p>

'You okay over there, Stefan?'

'Yes, I'm just fine Andrea. I've been working with my physiotherapist and I am up to small low-impact activities now.'

'Like aerobics?'

'That's part of it, in small amounts,' Stefan nodded, 'but I was thinking more like Wii bowling.'

Andrea laughed. 'We can play Wii bowling later if you like.'

'Agreed. I need a shower and then a cup of that disgusting tea you insist on pushing on me.'

'It's genuine Japanese green tea,' she protested indignantly, stopping the disk and getting to her knees so Andrea could roll up their yoga mats. 'It was a bridal shower gift from Haiko, that stuff is very expensive.'

'It still smells like you boiled a block of cedar-wood and tastes like funny water.'

'It's good for you. It's one of the best things to put in your body that helps to lower your blood pressure, and your cholesterol, and the rest of it.'

Stefan groaned a little as he got to his feet to sit on the couch. 'Fine, fine, I'll drink the tree-tea, then,' he grumbled with humour, as he knew he would drink the whole pot himself because the last thing he wanted was to pass out in his kitchen and wake up the next day in the hospital in Manhattan. He wanted to watch his grandson grow up, and see his other son become a father, hopefully to a whole lot more babies than just the one Andrea was baking in her oven right now.

Watching her get up, head tummy-first into the kitchen, he thought of when his son had first told him about the quiet, grey-eyed redhead nurse he was doing training with. Stefan's fatherly instincts had hummed knowingly, but when Daniel said that a gorgeous and very intelligent woman like her would just write him off as a dumb musclehead, he'd just told his son to give himself a break. When he'd brought her to dinner for the first time, she'd

'You've got that look, Stefan,' Andrea said, looking over her shoulder as she filled the kettle. 'I've seen it on my husband's face plenty when he wants...something,' she added, feeling a little silly she couldn't bring herself to say 'sex' thought it was quite obvious being married and pregnant she and Daniel were intimate. 'What's on your mind?'

'Just thinking about how proud I am of you.'

'Really?'

'Yes. You and Daniel, neither of you had what most would consider normal childhoods, but you haven't let it ruin you, nor do you use it as a crutch.'

'Some of my girlfriends, they think I'm still letting the demons of my relatives rule me.'

'Are you?'

It was such a simple, easily asked question that it had Andrea's hand freezing on the can of green-tea powder. 'I...I'm making the effort to tune them out. It's easy when my hormones take over when I'm around Daniel,' she chuckled, making Stefan laugh too. 'But every so often, it crops up. It's hard, they were the only family I had and they held that over my head for a long time.'

'Do you think you'll ever be able to forgive them?'

'Did you ever forgive Daniel and Sean's mother for doing what she did?'

'You cannot make a thief and then punish them for thievery,' Stefan replied, thinking of one of his favourite quotes from Thomas More. 'Cassandra was beautiful and troubled. I didn't fall in love with her because I thought I could fix her and that would make me her hero. I fell for her because I watched her fight back against her worst nightmares.'

'That's not really an answer,' Andrea pointed out to him, coming back over to sit with her father-in-law.

'No, but it's the setup to the answer. I watched her fight those demons and I know the reason she took off wasn't because she didn't love her sons, it was because she had bigger dragons to fight. I was angry with her after she left not because of the responsibility she'd put on me, but because she was missing out on those moments with her babies. But I forgave her, Andrea. Yes, she wasn't perfect, but by God, she gave me the best things in my life.'

'So what does that have to do with me?'

'You still have a chance to make it right with your mother, Andrea. Yes your father is gone and the look that puts in your eyes, I wish I could bring him back for you, baby girl.' Stefan put a broad hand to Andrea's cheek. 'You've still got your mother. If I'm gone Daniel and Sean would have nothing, and it's been eating at him that you and your mother haven't been able to come to terms.'

'I know, but-'

'No, no buts.' Stefan shook his head. 'What your sisters did to you is unforgivable, but they aren't your mother, Andrea. Your mother's made mistakes that she wants to fix and at the very least, those efforts need to be acknowledged.'

Andrea studied the man's face. 'I bet Cassandra didn't win too many fights with you, did she?'

'Are you kidding? She had blue-green eyes that were impossible to say no to. Daniel got them from her.'

'He sure did,' she murmured, thinking of her husband's piercing gaze. 'Can you excuse me for a moment?'

'Of course.'

Andrea ducked into the bedroom, dialed Daniel's cellphone from hers so she knew he would pick up. He picked up on the fourth ring, just before the voice-mail kicked in. 'Hey, honey, it's me.'

'Hey, you just caught me, I'm on my way into the scrub room. What's up?'

'You were right.'

'Pardon me?'

'You were right,' Andrea said, feeling better already. 'You wanna hear it again, you big lug?'

'Big lug you love,' Daniel reminded her.

'That too. I deserve to give my mother a chance after everything that's happened, and I wanted to tell you I won't call her until you're home, because I want you there with me.'

'You got it.'

'And then I'll make it up to you.'

'Even better. I love you, Andrea.'

'Love you too, Daniel.'


	50. Gratitude

As was promised, when Daniel arrived home that night they were sitting in their bed while Andrea dialed her mother's international mobile number and put the house-line on speaker phone so they could both hear her. She picked up after a few rings, sounding calm and sober.

'Hello, this is Agnes.'

'Hi, Mom.'

'Andrea! Oh, I'm so glad you called back, sweetheart!'

The exhilarated relief in the woman's voice had Andrea on alert; this was not the woman she was used to dealing with whenever she thought of dealing with her mother. 'Daniel said you called this morning, that you and I have some things to discuss.'

'Yes, I've just been feeling so awful about how we left things when I was in New York in March, and I know it's been over a month, but I've...I haven't wanted to call until I had something to show for it.'

'Daniel said you've gone into rehab, Mom?' Andrea took Daniel's hand in hers. 'Is that true?'

'Yes. It was part of the reason I didn't call, I wanted to get through my first thirty days before getting in touch with you. Andrea, I've said and done some things with you that...well, that I have no excuse for other than my own selfishness.'

'I think it's more what you haven't done that's hurt more, Mom. You never intervened once on my behalf with Cora and Gerry.'

'I know, and I don't ask you to forgive me for that either. There's no reason you should. I crossed a line in March with you, one-on-one trying to tell you how you should look for your husband. And when you stood up to me like that, it made me realize that you...'

Daniel and Andrea heard Agnes trail off, take a few breaths to compose herself. 'That you were happier than anything I'd seen since your father died, and it scared me, that you'd done all of these things without me. Again, I know there's no one to blame but myself for this. I've led a very wasteful life in ignoring you, not giving you what you needed, sweetheart.'

'Agnes, before this goes any further, I have to ask.' Daniel hesitated only a moment; he was fairly certain his question would earn him a night sleeping on the couch but it needed to be asked. 'Is this for real? Because Andrea's been through a lot the last couple of moths, we both have, and if you're not dead set on keeping this resolution, then we want no part of it.'

'It is for real. I want to be welcome when the baby's born in August,' Agnes replied earnestly, and Daniel watched Andrea's eyes fill up, though they didn't spill over yet. 'I'm going to buy a small place in Manhattan, I think. There's no reason for me to waste all my time down here in the Bahamas when I can be there for you both.'

'When are you coming to New York?'

'I'm going to be flying in the first weekend of June to house hunt, and once I find something, I'll be returning to the Bahamas to get my things packed and shipped up. I'll be here for good hopefully in July.'

Andrea looked at Daniel. 'Should we make a plan that weekend then, to go and see a few places with her?'

'I think so. I think we should have some input or ideas if our child is going to spend time with her at this apartment.'

'Mom, what does your husband have to say about this?'

'He's perfectly content to be screwing the stewards on his yacht and abusing his liver. I doubt he'll even notice I'm gone until I serve him divorce papers. So, what do you think?'

'I think it's a big change to take in all at once,' Andrea replied honestly, squeezing Daniel's hand in support, 'but you sound like you're very determined, so I'm willing to give you a chance. It's not going to be midnight ice cream and long talks on the phone right away, Mom, you'll have to earn your way back.'

'I understand that, sweetheart, but I'm just...I'm so grateful that you're giving me the chance at all.'

'Well, a wise man told me that Dad's gone, but you're still here and that it's worth giving it a shot for that reason alone.'

'Thank you, sweetheart. I have to go, I have an early meeting with my therapist tomorrow and I will call you with the details of my flights and appointments when I make them, okay?'

'Or sooner,' Daniel suggested. 'Let us know how things are going, maybe in a week or so.'

'Yes. Yes I can do that. Take care, darlings. Love you.'

'Love you too Mom.'

Andrea hung up the phone, and Daniel watched her sigh out a heavy breath. He brushed his hand over her arm. 'I know how hard that must have been for you, Andr-'

He couldn't even finish his sentence before his wife was launching herself into his arms, her mouth crushing down on his. Her lips were hot and grateful, almost thankful, as she kissed him ferociously.

'Thank you, Daniel,' she murmured, 'thank you for pushing em into that.'

'I-'

'No. There's nothing you can say.'

Andrea scooted off the bed, began to undress, which had Daniel getting to his feet as well. 'Hey, slow down, killer. What?'

'Just because you're pregnant doesn't mean we can't have a little bit of romance. Here.'

Daniel dimmed their bedroom lights, got out the tea lights from his bedside table and lit them in their mirrored-glass holders before getting out the plastic toy-box they kept; it contained a variety of sultry odds and ends like a worn-out copy of _Dear Diary_, their collection of _l'Amour des Femmes_ discs, and what he was looking for - the little box of massage oil jars. Andrea always favoured citrus scents so he chose the delicate lime-coconut oil, shook the bottle up.

When he stood at the edge of the bed with her, Daniel's hands moved gently up her arms and over her shoulders until he was cupping her face in his palms. 'You mean the world to me, Andrea. I love you so much.'

'I love you too, Daniel.'

Andrea stroked her fingertips over his arms, his stomach, his broad chest. 'God you're sexy. I just wanna eat you up.'

'That sounds promising.'

She chuckled, nipped at his lower lip. It was harder to do that with her bump in the way these days but she still managed it. Inching the cotton up his back, she felt the soft skin there, firm muscles riding underneath it. He was so gorgeous, there were still times when Andrea wondered how she'd gotten so lucky that of all the people in the universe, he was the one who loved and wanted and needed her. When the shirt was over his head, she didn't hold back looking at his body, nor his arousal. As she'd once said, Daniel surname suited him all over.

Daniel saw her eyes go bright and wide in appreciation for his body, just as his did for her. He lifted her blouse over her head and licked his lips at the sight he saw - Andrea's breasts had gotten even bigger thanks to the hormones, so much so they were nearly spilling over the top of her bra. With gently but swift moves he unhooked the bra to slide the fabric away then taking her hand, he turned her so she spooned against his chest and he cupped those beautiful breasts against his palms. When he scraped his thumbs over her already heated nipples, she groaned in satisfaction.

'Oh, yeah baby. But I thought I was seducing you?'

'You are, trust me.'

Daniel reached around her body with his long arms, and unfastened the maternity pants she was wearing, slid them down her hips before ditching his own so they were both in just their underwear. He tugged her onto the bed, so they were kneeling together in the centre and Andrea reached for the little jar of massage oil. She drizzled a little of it on her husband's back, began to rub it in.

The feel of her hands on his back made the blood pool in Daniel's lap, and he felt himself harden as those clever hands worked over his skin. Her hands had been the first thing he'd fallen for, and his love for them had only grown since their first intimate time together. He heard her instruction for him to roll to his back and wasn't surprised to see her eyes glaze again at the sight of his arousal, flying high and proud under the silk of his boxers.

'Here,' she said in a low, throaty voice, 'let me help you with that.'

She slid his boxers over his hips so he was naked and adjusting herself to accommodate the bump, Andrea nestled her head against the curve of his shoulder and traced her hand down over his body until she closed her hand over him. 'So big baby,' she murmured to him, 'you really are the Incredible Daniel.'

'Daniel love, Daniel kiss,' he replied in a growl, making her giggle; his brain evaporated a little bit as she started to work him. His big arm came around her shoulders to keep her close. 'God you're good at that.'

'Yeah?'

'Yeah.'

Andrea kissed his cheek, then murmured in his ear, 'you sure you don't want a kiss for it?'

'That'd be fun.'

'Here.' She let go of him, rolled to her back. 'This is the easiest way.'

Understanding what she meant, Daniel straddled her, moved up so that she could take him into her mouth. The feel of her tongue laving over him had him hissing out a breath between his teeth and sighing her name. She could do this to him, make him feel so vulnerable and god-like at the same time, it was truly a beautiful thing. That she had to do it like this because she was pregnant with his child made him love her all the more.

Then there was no thought going through his mind, only the sensations she gave to him; Daniel felt the pull his his chest as those wonderful hands stroked the outsides of his thighs while she pleasured him. He begged her, pleaded with her not to stop, and she kept her magical mouth on him as he began to shudder from the orgasm that pounded through his body. Hips rocking in urgency, Daniel reached down to stroke his hand through her fiery hair as she took him in, all of him, and only released him when he was drained and sated. Falling to the side, Daniel stared at the ceiling, then at Andrea as she sat up, wiping her hand over the back of her mouth. He saw the sweetly smug look on her face.

'Best thank you ever.'

'Even better than a million dollars?'

'We have the million dollars as a wedding gift. Nothing beats getting sexed up by your hot pregnant wife. Or sexing her up, either,' he added, sitting up to kiss her lips lightly. 'Lie back.'

'Hmm?'

'Lie back,' Daniel repeated, 'it's my turn to thank you.'

* * *

><p>R&amp;R&amp;Enjoy<p> 


	51. Girl Summit: 24 Weeks

'Daniel, wake up. I feel weird.'

The softly spoken words had the man jerking himself out of his sleepy state; Daniel sat up like a mummy. His eyes were wide and staring at Andrea, who was sitting cross-legged in the bed and rubbing her belly. The edges of fear were starting to show around her eyes as she breathed deeply and tried to stay calm.

'What is it, are you having a contraction?' Daniel asked in a panic. He twisted, reached for his cellphone on the bedside table. 'Should I call Harvey?'

'I...I don't know, it doesn't feel...right.'

'I'm calling Harvey.'

Daniel had the doctor's number half-keyed in when Andrea felt a gurgle inside, and she put a hand to his arm. 'Wait, just wait a second...'

He watched her screw up her face in concentration and the bedroom was filled with the very loud sound of flatulence. Her face was a study of relief as she let out her breath.

'Oh God, that feels better. Not a contraction or even a Braxton-Hicks. Just a really bad case of gas.

'Really, _really_ bad,' Daniel agreed as the putrid smell hit his nose. 'Oh, sweetie, that is just wrong. How can such a sexy ass produce such noxious gas?'

'That sounds like Doctor Seuss trying to rap. But it's better out than in, right?'

'Especially here, since you're doing your first meeting with Sloan today about the photo shoot, right?'

'Yeah a nude model breaking wind wouldn't be terrible attractive, would it?' Andrea wrinkled her nose.

'Not especially. Unless that's the point of the shoot.'

'Sloan is doing a portrait of women in their natural, beautiful state. Minimal hair styling, no make-up, no touching-up, and no clothes.'

Daniel slipped out of bed, went to find a towel for his shower. 'And who all is doing this photo shoot?'

'Meredeth, obviously, Honey-Milk, Lanie, Lili, and myself. Beckett doesn't want to do it since she already deals with the Nikki Heat stuff, and Alexis is in the middle of studying for exams so she can't make the trip up from New Jersey.' Andrea let out a little 'oof' as she felt the baby kick. 'And you too, my little hitch-hiker, you're going to be there too but you and I are kind of a packaged deal.'

'Clementine or Jonathan knows that, don'tcha sugar?'

'Clementine or Jonathan?'

'Too weird?'

'Jonathan I like,' Andrea admitted as she shoved herself off the bed, 'but Clementine isn't...what if it is a girl and she has red hair like mine, they'd all call her Orange or Tangerine on the school yard.'

'But as a middle name for Stefanie, if it was a daughter? We already decided to go with either Stefan or Stefanie as a first name, right?' Daniel reminded her.

'Right. Damn pregnancy brain. Stefanie Clementine Hennessey Brick. That sounds like something out of literature.'

'I like it too. You want me to wait for you, walk you to the subway?'

'No, Meredeth is picking me up.' Andrea went to her side of the closet, picked out the comfortable but stylish lemon-yellow tunic and linen capris she'd decided on the night before, and began to change. 'She doesn't want me walking that far on my own. There how, do I look?'

'Like a little scoop of lemon gelato with a diamond inside.'

'Aww.'

Daniel laughed, gave her a kiss. 'I need to shower, so if you're gone before I'm out, love you both.'

'Love you too, baby.'

* * *

><p>Sloan Machado's studio on Lexington Avenue was exactly what Andrea expected it to be - a very professional business area out front, with the desk manned by a pencil of a man dressed in a painfully trendy fashion, then through the side door of the reception was a large studio loft with various backdrops, sets, and props. The majority of the open space seemed to be reserved for storage, and the actual staging area for photos itself was reserved to an L-shape of the corner, cordoned off by a desk with an Apple desk-top for the art-director's viewing pleasure.<p>

'This is quite the place,' Andrea commented, then glanced at Meredeth. 'Are all studios like this?'

'A lot in New York are because the artists get the loft-level of high-rises so they'll have lots of good, natural lighting. I've only ever done professional shoots in New York, so I can't comment on any other place.'

'How did you even meet her?'

'Through Alexis, actually. She and Sloan went to school together, but Sloan was a year ahead. She did the wedding photos for Kevin and Jenny, Javi and me, Kate and Richard, and Lanie and Dave, and you guys of course.'

'There's my favourite writer!'

Andrea glanced over, smiled as she saw the bubbly Latina coming up to them. Just like at the botanical gardens, she was hip and funky but functional - today it was black Bermuda shorts with a skin-tight grey-tank top that read 'Girls Rule, Boys Drool' in hot-pink spray paint, a black bandana tied around her right ankle and about a million black and silver bracelets up her right arm. Sloan wrapped her jingling arms around Meredeth, rocked her back and forth a little bit.

'Thanks again for doing this, Sloan.'

'Are you kidding, I should be thanking you. I'm going to be the centrepiece for a major art festival and have that same mini-exhibit feature in Vanity Fair. Do you have any idea what that will do for my newbie little studios?' Sloan grinned, slapped her hands on her hips. 'And look at you Miss Mama, getting so big, I am so excited to shoot you and the little one. Do you know yet if it's a boy or girl?'

'No, we're going to wait.'

'Are you feeling one or the other?'

'Ummm...' Andrea rubbed a hand on her belly as she sat down in the chair Sloan had dragged over for her. 'I'm kind of leaning towards boy.'

'Yeah?'

'Uh-huh, I don't know why, but it feels like there's a boy inside me right now.'

Sloan gave her another grin. 'Well, not long to go before you find out, is there?'

'What's today, May fourth? Three months and eleven days.'

The door into the studio opened once more and the group looked over to see Lanie and Lili coming through together; that wasn't a surprise, considering that they lived three blocks from each other. Both of them greeted Sloan with the same hugs, and immediately turned to Andrea, rubbed her belly which jiggled under their hands.

'Hey, mama, guess you're starting to count down the weeks to go now, huh?' Lili asked with an excited sparkle in her eye. 'You know if it's a boy or girl yet?'

'Nope, we want to be surprised. It's been making shopping a little bit trickier, but we've held off doing a lot of that until the nursery is finished.'

'When's that going to be?' Lanie aske, pulling up a chair beside her friend.

'No idea. Soon I hope. We've both had such crazy work schedules lately, and then with Stefan suddenly falling ill, it's just been insane.'

'Well, I'm sure Daniel won't let something that important fall through,' Lili assured her; she, like the other girls save for Sloan, knew exactly what Daniel was up to, putting off finishing the nursery - he'd talked to Esposito about their crib and was going to be getting the men together so that while the girls were taking Andrea out for the day, the men would be putting together the entire nursery for her. 'Cam's a nurse and I work nine-to-five hours at a hotel, and we did it twice.'

'Same with me and Dave, and one of those times, we also moved,' Lanie added helpfully. 'Granted it was in the same building, but packing and moving is packing and moving.'

'Is everyone here?' Sloan asked, looking around.

'No.' Meredeth shook her head. 'Honey-Milk's not here yet.'

'I'm here!'

'Strike that,' Lili said as Honey-Milk came through the door, cheeks flushed from her rush from the subway to the building. 'So sorry, but the post-shift ran over, and-'

'It's okay, honey, you're here now. Take a breath, calm down,' Andrea laughed, patted her knee. 'We all know what it's like being a busy working mom.'

That Andrea said it so easily made Meredeth smile as Sloan brought over her file folder with her sketches, notes and ideas; she also dragged over a few more chairs so they were all sitting in a semi-circle for their discussion.

'So this is it, my final group?' She looked around and everyone nodded. 'Okay, so this is going to go in three different segments, over two days this weekend. The first part is on Friday, two days from now, to go over lighting, make-up, poses, things like that. Day two will be the actual shoot itself, with the group shot coming first and then the individual photographs. The third part, and we have Meredeth to thank for this, is the interviews with _Vanity Fair_ magazine which will happen once your photo shoot is done.'

'Wait, hold on.' Honey-Milk held up her hand. 'We're all being interview for _Vanity Fair_?'

'Sort of,' Meredeth said with a little blush. 'The main article is about me, and then all of us in the layout are getting our own little profile. Name, age, occupation, five-fun-facts about us, personal inspiration quote.'

'And we just finish up, put on a robe and plunk ourselves into the chair?' Lanie added, sharing a little of Honey-Milk's concern.

'No, no. Your photo shoot is ended when you're back in your street clothes,' Sloan explained. 'I run a clean place, and a classy one. No risk of tawdriness here.'

'Good.'

'The preliminary order I have is for Meredeth to go first, because she's the most experienced with posing for a magazine,' the photographer continued, 'and because her interview would be longer, she can get it out of the way. Then I'd like to do Lili, followed with Andrea, Lanie, and Jenny at the very end.'

'Save the best for last, huh?' Honey-Milk giggled. 'That sounds like fun.'

'The interviews won't be published until the magazine comes out in July, and those will only have one photo apiece plus the group shot. The exhibit, I'll choose the three best of all of you, and frame it around the group shot.'

'Where is this exhibit going to be display?' Andrea asked, thinking of all their families, namely the young children of all these women. 'Is it an art gallery for the eighteen-plus crowd, or is it a public museum for anyone to see?'

'Actually, it's going to be held at the Strawberry Fields Memorial of Central Park, and the space is being designed by Yoko Ono herself. So that should give you an idea on the tastefulness of the pictures I intend to shoot.'

The women all murmured their agreement, unwittingly giving Sloan the boost she needed. 'Okay, then,' she said with a smile. 'Let's talk posing.'


	52. A Natural Woman

Three days later, Andrea found herself back in Sloan's studio, far more calm than she thought she would be about the idea of posing nude, even if it was for art. She was in the hair-and-make-up chair in the kimono Daniel had given her for Christmas - without a doubt it was one of the few pre-bump articles of clothing that both still fit her and made her feel confident - while a woman with a shock of neon blue hair pulled her brush through Andrea's locks.

'You've got amazing hair, and not just from your pregnancy, I can tell,' the stylist said, snapping her equally blue bubble-gum. 'What kind of shampoo do you use? Warren Tracomi?'

'No, it's an all natural organic thing from Canada.'

'Yeah, my hubby gets us all amazing Great White North products when he's in Montreal,' Lanie chipped in from behind; she was already set herself and had come over to see the beautiful pearly-complexioned Andrea getting herself done up.

She thought back to the weekend of Saint Patrick's and wondered if Andrea knew that Lanie was occasionally in awe of her, thinking of her as perfect too- she was tall, to start; even in her heels, Lanie still had to literally look up when she talked to Andrea in her bare feet. Andrea also spoke Japanese fluently and had traveled all over the place on scuba diving adventures, not to mention the fact that she was pretty sure Andrea hadn't had to wait until pregnancy to have her ideal ass-shape.

But such was the feminine mystique, Lanie had learned, that what she thought a flaw in herself was revered by another. Hadn't Andrea said that she would kill to be as tiny and petite as Lanie, while the good doctor was forever abusing her feet in stilettos just so she wouldn't look like she belonged at the kids table?

Lanie was brought back to earth when she saw Andrea wince, rub her bump. 'What is it?'

'Big friggin' kick. Hey, you, that's not nice,' Andrea said to her stomach, poking it with her index finger. 'Take it easy on Mama, you hear?'

She giggled when she saw the belly move again, this tiem a little more gently. 'That's more like it.'

There was a knock on the door and one of Sloan's assistants, a pretty freckle-face young man with a mushroom cut, stuck his head in the door. 'We're all set out here, when you're ready.'

'Gotcha,' the stylist replied, snapping her gum, then patted Andrea's shoulder. 'There, all set.'

Andrea knew the stylist hadn't really done much but the way she looked in the soft favourable lighting made a little flutter in her chest. She was, indeed, a hot, sexy mother-to-be. Looking over her shoulder, she looked at Lanie and grinned.

'Let's rock this joint.'

Laughing, Lanie grabbed Andrea's hand in hers and out of the make-up room they went like school girls, over to the set where the other three women were already there in their robes. Sloan's request for just their natural beauty, no foundation or bronzer, not even lip-gloss, was certainly suit them well - Meredeth round-faced and rosy-cheeked, Honey-Milk with her wide Irish eyes, and Lily with her stunning Latina bone structure certainly needed no touch-ups, Andrea thought. The flutter she'd felt in her chest came back and increased when Meredeth and Honey-Milk both whistled at her while Lili gave her a little 'ooo'.

'Andrea, you look positively heavenly,' Honey-Milk sighed. 'Why couldn't I have looked like that when I was six months pregnant with Dell?'

'I remember you looked like a little blonde angel,' Andrea replied, sharing the other nurse's wistfulness.

'Good, everyone's here.' Sloan approached them with her Nikon in hand. 'Drop your pots, ladies.'

The group of five women stood in a little circle, facing each other, and disrobed; for the first time in her adult life, Andrea felt no flush of embarrassment creep up her neck in being nude around other women.

'Okay, Andrea, you first.' Sloan pointed to the chaise-lounge. 'Like we talked about yesterday, right?'

'Right.'

She made her way over, the tile cool under her bare feet and she lowered herself so the curve of the settee supported her back, bent her left knee up slightly to guard where Daniel had enjoyed many mornings, afternoons, and nights. She wrapped her right arm over her breasts as means of cover. 'Like that?'

'Perfection, mama. Mere you next.'

Meredeth nodded, and going over, she turned and knelt in front of the couch so that her loosely linked fingers rested on Andrea's knee, also covering up her naughty Javi-only bits. As the woman turned, Andrea blinked and cocked her head to the side as she studied Meredeth's body.

'I didn't know you had a second tattoo, Mere,' she commented.

'Yep, one on each side, front and back.' Meredeth drummed her fingers on the numbers for her mother's helicopter as she turned around, and showed off the heart with the numbers 4-1-0-2-3 in them on the top of her right butt-cheek. 'It's Javi's badge number. I got it on the anniversary of him getting shot, to remind him I carry it with me too.'

'So cute,' Lanie said with a little wrinkle in her nose as she moved to her place behind Andrea. 'Best tattoo I've ever seen is Shane Weaver's. He's got Homer Simpson as the grim reaper on his shoulder.'

'Lanie, I'm going to move you and Mere, I think,' Sloan said to the girls, studying them through her viewfinder. 'Yes, Lanie, you and Mere switch please.'

They did so, and Sloan added in Lili near Andrea's head and shoulders while Honey-Milk stretch on her back so her head was resting in Lanie's lap. 'Oh this looks so good, you guys!' Sloan exclaimed, and snapped the first shot with the women looking in all different directions. 'Okay, eyes on me, and there were go.'

The young photographer gave them gentle direction, even had them uncover themselves and adjusted the lighting so they were in silhouette, and only the curves of their bodies could be seen. When they were done an hour later in the various poses, all but Meredeth covered themselves back up, as Meredeth was going first for the solo shots.

'Can we see the picture?' Andrea asked, tying the belt of her kimono.

'At the end of the day. We need to get through the other photo shoots because our reporter friend only has so much time.'

She glanced over, saw the well-dressed woman with her voice recorder and note pad sitting by the desk with the Mac atop it cluttered surface. 'Oh, of course. I'm Andrea Brick.'

'Lisa Bronson. I'll be talking to you shortly.'

'Missus Brick?' The same freckle-faced young man who'd summoned Lanie and Andrea for the group-shot approached her cautiously. 'Can I bring you anything to drink? Water or juice, maybe some tea?'

'Bubbly water, thank you so much.'

He scurried off and Andrea watched fascinated as Meredeth posed for Sloan, keeping herself covered, yet uncovered on the settee. When she saw Meredeth turn her head, and Sloan told her not to do it like that because it gave her the look of jowls, a little voice inside Andrea's head - one that very closely resembled Daniel's - say to her _see, even the glamorous Meredeth has bad angles too_. The thought comforted her, as she watched the writer sit up, poke her belly and with a jolt, Andrea remembered that the woman in front of her- so confident and gorgeous - had given birth not just to Tessi, but to twins as well, and her husband still thought she was the sexiest woman alive. In fact, all of those women were mothers twice over; though Andrea had helped three of them give birth the notion that they truly had gone through the changes she was going through now more than once gave him a sense of security in her femininity.

For the first time in she couldn't remember how long, Andrea felt sexy around other women and it wasn't a feeling she wanted to go away.

As Meredeth wrapped up her shoot, Sloan glanced at her watch and pursed her lips. 'Hmm, okay. Lili, do you mind switching with Andrea? That settee was loaned to me by another photographer and I have a feeling she's going to be coming early to pick it up.'

'Oh, sure, not a problem.' Lili shrugged affably as the stylist touched up her hair. 'So long as we all get our sexy poses, who cares about the order.'

'Well, other photographers might get pissy, or models for that matter, so thanks. Andrea.'

'Ah, okay, sure.' Andrea stood up, wrinkled up her face when she felt the baby kick again. 'Yes, I know, all this up-down up-down is weird, right?'

'You okay?' Sloan asked.

'Yep, just the baby doing it's thing.'

'Good, just let me know if I need to boil some water, or something. We'll start off with the supine pose, since it's the hardest.'

Andrea nodded, adjusted herself on the chaise-lounge and cupped her hormone-engorged breasts with her hands, drew her front leg up to stylishly cover herself without a stich of clothing. She turned her head so she was looking at the camera, slowly blinking her eyes as she imagined herself at home in bed and posing for Daniel.

'Good, that's just beautiful Andrea,' Sloan encouraged her. 'Now, I'm going to come close, to do the Mother Earth one we about.'

She put her camera on its tripod, switched to the one favoured for close-ups. Now Andrea sat up, and moved so she was kneeling on an angle to the lines of the couch, one hand supporting under her belly as it rested on the tops of her thighs while the other covered up the x-rated portions of her breasts. She gazed down lovingly at her belly, watching the ripples as the baby kicked and turned, oblivious to Sloan's camera and just thinking of the day when she would hold that little life in her arms.

Andrea glanced up at the sound of a little sniffle, and with her face full of love saw Lanie, and Lili there, watching her with tears of happiness running down their faces. 'What is it?'

'You look so...so beautiful,' Lili sighed, knuckling away the water droplets. 'Like you were the first woman ever to have a baby in the world.'

'I wouldn't be surprised if that picture gets Sloan an award,' Lanie added in the same sighing tone. 'Just gorgeous.'

'Thank you, ladies.' Sloan winked at Andrea. 'If you want, I can include a sexy one for Daniel, no cost.'

'Why don't we think of that for his birthday instead?' Andrea laughed.

'Oh, better yet, make it his card, you know, I forgot to wrap your gift, but I don't think you'll mind,' Lili suggested.

'That's hot, I like it.'

Sloan finished off Andrea's third pose - this one her Amazon one, where she placed her arms like she was holding an invisible sword ready to attack - and sent Andrea on her way to change and do her interview.

'So what do you think, baby? Was that fun?' When the response was a gentle kick, Andrea chuckled. 'Yeah, I thought so too.'

* * *

><p>R&amp;R&amp;Enjoy<p> 


	53. Where the Boys Are A

Daniel chewed his lip as he stared at his watch with the intensity of a sprinter waiting for the starter's pistol. He was really pushing it down to the wire by agreeing to this emergency favour for Samson, as his plan hinged on him being out the door and home on time.

It was the big baby weekend - he and his boys were going to be painting the nursery and putting in all the furniture. Daniel and Andrea had decided on the theme they wanted, but Daniel had insisted that Andrea not be around. Not just for the paint fumes but he wanted to surprise her with getting everything ready from the paint on the walls to the furniture in place to the clothes they'd accumulated into the bureau. He knew she was feeling worried that they were into her last trimester and they still didn't have the baby's room ready and Daniel would be damned if he'd let her go on thinking they weren't prepared. He would not let his wife down, not if he could do something about it.

'Nurse Brick?'

'Huh?'

Samson chuckled; the man had been distracted all afternoon. 'Is this surgery keeping you from something?'

'No, sir, I...I am trying to plan a surprise for my wife, and praying I'll be out of here on time to pull it off.'

'Oh, is it for the baby?' Donally asked from her spot at Samson's left elbow, eyes going soft. 'Or is it a romantic getaway for you two?'

'The first one, Donally. I need to get her out of the house before my friends and my brother and my pops are all there to set up the nursery for her.'

Donally made a sweet face behind her surgical mask. 'What theme did you guys chose?'

'Tropical reef. She got me hooked on diving and fish are very soothing for a newborn.'

'Or anyone,' Samson agreed. 'If I was having a tough day in medical school in San Diego, I'd go to Sea World and mellow out with the dolphins and sharks.'

'Anyways, we are getting everything done, the painting, the furniture, the crib, the supplies, I want it all perfect for her since she's going out of town with the girls this weekend. They've agreed to take her to a spa in New Jersey for a couple days so she can get the full mommy pampering, but I need to be there to make sure she gets out the door on time, so-'

Daniel was interrupted when his phone chirped at him; fishing it from his scrub pocket, he was nearly faint with relief when he read his wife's incoming text - _Mere's here off to the spa for a day or two, call you tonight, love you texty._

'Oh thank god,' he sighed, stuffed his phone back in his pocket. 'Meredeth just picked her up, everything's good.'

'Which is rather ironic, as we're ready to close, and you'd be out of here on time regardless,' Samson chuckled. 'Whenever you're ready, Nurse Brick.'

* * *

><p>Daniel was just finishing pulling on jeans and an ancient Agents of Chaos concert tee when the buzzer for the door sounded, and he let in his brother, father and Richard Castle in one shot; a few minutes later, they were on his door.<p>

'Hey, big daddy!' Castle's grin was wide as the moon and friendly as a sunflower. 'You leggo your preggo already?'

'Yep, she's with the girls on her way to Aqua de la Vie across the river as we speak and will be home at approximately two pm on Sunday which means we have a lot to do.'

'Well, many hands make light work, son,' Stefan reminded him. 'Especially on a project like this.'

'That it does, Dad.' Daniel patted his father's shoulder. While'd he'd lost weight, his colour was more consistent and he wasn't sweating the same way he did after his surgery. 'You'll be surpevising us, are you cool with that?'

'Hey, I'm just glad to be here and part of things at all,' he replied honestly. 'Even if it means I order the pizza on the phone.'

'Sandwiches,' Castle said with a wink. 'Working men get sandwiches. Beer and wings to celebrate a job well done. What are we starting with first?'

He took off his coat, and Daniel had to laugh a little that even Castle's grubby working clothes were of more style than some things hanging in the 'good' side of his own closet. 'This way, guys,' he said, gesturing for them to follow him.

The room was bare but for the armchair; the other furniture they'd picked out was in the storage locker of their building waiting to be assembled except for the crib. The crib was a gorgeous custom job that would be coming with Esposito, Ryan, and Gil when they arrived. The walls had already been taped off at the edges, as Daniel and Andrea wanted to keep the original white trim to contrast the bright tropical blue they'd picked for the walls of the nursery.

'The paint I got is primer and paint all in one, which is going to make this go a lot faster,' Daniel said, prying open the lid of one can with a flat-head screwdriver. 'And it will dry overnight tonight, which means tomorrow we can get furniture put together, and be ready for Andrea on Sunday afternoon.

'Speaking of which, you want to stay at the loft tonight while the paint dries?' Castle asked, rolling up his sleeves and opening the other can of paint while Sean set to dealing with the rollers and brushes.

'Thanks, but I've already been offered to shack up at Dave's, since he's the closest to me.'

'That's cool. Be advised, Violet likes to wander at night, she is a bit of a sleepwalker, and she might climb into bed with you.'

'Duly noted.'

The buzzer sounded again and without a hesitation, Stefan went to answer, which had Daniel murmuring to his brother. 'How's he been?'

'Really, really good, sticking to his diet and light exercise. Doctor Benton thinks he'll be ready to go back to work by the beginning of September, just light desk duty, but still.'

'That is good news,' Daniel agreed, then closed his mouth when he heard the voices of the two-headed monster, as he'd learned they were called. When Ryan and Esposito came into the room that would be the nursery by the end of the next day, he grinned. 'Hey guys. Where's Gil?'

'Coming with Dave, he got held up on a bust,' Ryan supplied, and looking around grabbed the second paint can - Castle and Sean were already pouring the first one into the tray with the rollers - which he poured into the small hand-held bucket, and began to stir it with the small brush. 'I'll take care of the work around the fixtures and the tape.'

'Cool, I'll jump in with Castle and Sean,' Esposito decided. 'So how did you get rid of Andrea without telling her outright I'm working on the nursery for you?'

'Just that the guys were coming over for a boys' weekend since the girls were already taking her out, regardless. She's been worried that between my dad and work and everything else we were going to have a real slap-dash nursery.'

Ryan snorted as he worked his way around the lightswitch-plate. 'Unlikely. Not on our watch.'

'Have you guys signed up for birth classes yet?' Esposito asked, dipping his roller into the blue and gently rolling it on the wall by the window. 'You thinking a single weekend or a couple of nights?'

'A couple of nights. And it's Jenny whose running them, so...what, what, why are you making those faces?' Daniel looked at Castle, Ryan and Esposito who exchanged a quirk-lipped grin.

'Should we tell him?' Castle asked.

'Nah, Mere and I didn't get to know.'

'But it's possible Jenny already told them,' Ryan pointed out.

'So why do we need to tell him again?'

'Tell him what?' Sean asked, tickled to see how these grown, professional men were acting like little boys on the playground after school.

'The people in the birthing video she and Amelia will potentially use, you, ah, know them,' Ryan said with careful hedging of his words.

'Know them? How well?'

'You were in the room helping their son, little Carey, into the world.'

'Oh, that, yeah, that part doesn't bother me any,' Daniel scoffed; now he looked at his big brother who was trying to turn a laugh into a cough. 'Something to add, Sean?'

'Just that I'm a butcher by trade and thought I'd seen my share of blood and guts, but nothing prepares you for seeing your wife in childbirth. And I do mean nothing.'

'That cliche of 'sweetie, if I could I'd have it for you' totally comes into play.' Castle nodded his agreement. 'When I watched Evil Meredith give birth to Alexis, I'd have moved heaven and earth to make her pain go away. Of course, she gave me a hairline fracture in two fingers, so...'

'Evil Meredith?' Sean asked.

'His first wife, Alexis' biological mother, was named Meredith the same as my wife, Good Meredeth,' Esposito explained, going back for more paint. 'Since you can't really tell the difference between an E-T-H and an I-T-H when you're speaking, we call them Good and Evil to clarify.'

'Makes sense, I guess.'

'Have you and Andrea picked out some names yet?' Ryan asked as he refilled his hand-bucket of paint. 'It's one of the best parts.'

'We already decided we were going to call the baby Stefan or Stefanie, after our dads.'

'Both your dads were named Stefan?' Esposito said with a little note of surprise.

'Yep, same spelling and everything. We also know we want both our surnames in there too, so it's a middle name that's tripping us up.'

'Are you thinking something more Irish or anything that fits?' Ryan asked. 'There are some Gaelic ones that are real pains in the ass for teachers, like my sister Kelsey's middle name, Aislinh, good luck with that one at school.'

'That's why Mere and I changed the spelling for Tessi's name so she wouldn't have that problem.' Esposito slid his eyes over to Daniel. 'Any thoughts?'

'I like Clementine, but Andrea thinks it won't fit for a little girl with red hair. She likes Finn for a boy but Finn Stefan or Stefan Finn sounds like you have a stutter.'

'You'll figure it out,' Stefan said from the doorway. 'Anything I can do to help, gentlemen?'

'Umm...' Castle trailed off, not wanting to patronize the healing man. 'I...'

'Come on, Richard, there must be something. I can call up those sandwiches if you want.'

'Sandwiches?' Both Ryan and Esposito's heads snapped up like wolves scenting fresh juicy cotton-ball sheep. 'Food?'

'I'll take that as a yes. You said Gennaro's, correct?'

Castle nodded, and when Stefan left, the writer looked at Daniel. 'You name your baby after that man, you've giving him one hell of a legacy to live up to.'


	54. Early Morning Bonding

By the time Dave and Gil got to the apartment, they were just in time to help get the widest, most time consuming wall of the nursery painted. They took a short pause when Stefan brought in the sandwiches he'd ordered in from Gennaro's, during which time they talked about their various experiences with Daniel over what they'd done when their wives had gone into labour. Castle and Esposito had some pretty funny stories on their part for how their wives had gone into labour, and everything they'd for them when their women had been feeling horribly puffy and bloated and just not themselves at all.

When the last stroke was on the wall, the men looked around at their accomplishment and nodded in satisfaction.

'Looks really good. Reminds me of Tessi's room a little bit,' Esposito observed, pouring unused paint back into the can.

'This is more turquoise, though, I think.' Dave pursed his lips. 'You and Andrea really like that blue colours, huh?'

'It reminds her a lot of the ocean. Andrea loves the ocean, and she's got me hooked too,' Daniel laughed, then looked around. 'Man, I could use a drink right about now.'

Gil scratched the back of his neck. 'We're pretty close to Pinkos from here. They've got about twenty-thousand different drafts.'

'And those awesome wings,' Castle added wistfully. 'Not that that does Ryan any good.'

'They also have a good pasta there too.'

Daniel grinned, glanced around. 'Should we call ahead for a table?'

'I got this one.' Castle slapped the daddy-to-be on the shoulder. 'Are Sean and Stefan going to come with?'

Daniel shook his head; his brother had taken their father back to his residence at the rehab clinic and would be staying the night there with him to get an update on his physiotherapy in the morning before coming back to help them out the next morning. The gesture had Castle nodding as he did a head count.

He looked around at the room, envisioned it finished in his mind's eye: The crib would go against the largest wall near the closet; at its head would go the bureau while on the opposite wall would be a gliding rocker near a long bench that would work as a multi-use table. On the walls themselves would go acryllic scenes they would shellac on with clear varnish to complete the tropical reef theme. There would still be other details to add, like photographs on the walls, the starfish lamp Andrea had picked out one afternoon when they'd gone shopping, but they still had all of the next day for doing that.

'Daniel?'

'Huh?' He glanced up, saw Castle looking at him as he held his phone by his ear.

'It's eight-thirty now, what time we want to get into Pinkos?'

'Oh, um, I guess in an hour?'

'Sounds good.'

* * *

><p>'Violet, leave him alone.'<p>

'Daddy say up-up.'

'Violet-'

Daniel registered the voices just miliseconds before he felt the little hand patting his cheek. He snorted, grunted. 'What?'

'Mo-nin, Daniel, Daddy say up-up.'

'Oh, hey Violet.' He ground the heel of his hand into his eye-socket, fought the pull of exhaustion. Blinking slowly while he tried to get his bearings Daniel saw the little girl and her brother standing beside the couch where he'd slept; both were still in their pjs and Carey had a rather battered looking stuffed duck clutched in his hand. 'Carey, what are you two doing up?'

'It's almost break-fast time,' Carey informed him. 'Daddy says you hafta dump your go-ceries down your neck and skee-daddle.'

'Da-dell,' Violet added, nodding solemnly.

'Well, then let's not keep your daddy waiting.'

Now that he was awake, Daniel could smell some kind of frying meat and coffee, good and strong from the kitchen. Standing up, he folded up the blankets he'd used, put them neatly on the end of the couch and turning saw Lanie there in shorts and a t-shirt. Her long black hair was in a loose braid over her shoulder as she walked over, passed him a coffee cup.

'Figured you and my working man could use this.'

'What are you doing here, thought you were out with the girls at the spa?'

'Got called in last night to work at the last minute. Such is the nature of being a doctor for a very under-funded, under-staffed city agency.' Lanie sipped her coffee. 'Dave's got peameal bacon ready for a toasted sandwich for heading out the door.'

'What kind of bacon?'

'It's a Canadian thing, apparently. But it is delicious.'

'Lish-is,' Violet added; she was never one who liked to be left out of the conversation, and she came over to take her mother's hand, swung it gently. 'Baby be here soon?'

'Yeah, in August, just like you, remember?' Daniel told her.

'Au-gus six. Me day.'

'Our baby will be here a couple days after that.'

'Time fo' cake?'

Lanie laughed, scooped her daughter up as they headed for the kitchen. 'No, baby, Daniel and Andrea's baby will be too little for cake.'

'That no' fun. Daddy, why baby no' have cake?'

Dave glanced up from where he was slicing the pan-fried meat for their breakfast sandwiches, adding mayo, onions and lettuce to the toasted bread. 'Why can't the baby have cake?' he asked, a little confused.

'Andrea is due in August, and Violet thinks this means another party-goer for her birthday,' Lanie explained, and Dave nodded sagely.

'Violet, my little flower, the baby will be way too little for cake, just like when Leo and Trini were born.'

The girl pouted a little but relented. 'O-kay, ness time.'

'That's my girl. Go wash your hands up, Mommy will make you and Carey French toast.'

'Yea!'

Violet went off to find her brother and Lanie rolled her eyes at Dave. 'Nice trick, David,' she murmured, stretching to her tiptoes to kiss her husband. 'Making sure I eat before Kevin's sister picks them up and I go to work, right?'

'Maybe.'

Dave kissed his wife, and Daniel looked away politely as the wheels in his own head turned. Here was a couple who had been unexpectedly pregnant, who had barely been living together two months when they learned they would be parents. Now they were married with another baby to go with the first one and making it work. If that wasn't inspiration for himself and Andrea, what was?

With the sandwiches made, the men headed for their subway stop and arrived back at Daniel and Andrea's apartment within half an hour. The moment they opened the door, Daniel could still smell the traces of fresh paint but they were remnants only. A couple of open windows and a few fans blasting through the apartment, combined with the smell of men working throughout the day and it would be barely noticeable.

'So what are we starting on first?' Dave asked, sitting down with Daniel at the kitchen table so they could finish their coffee.

'The walls come first. Ryan and Esposito are going to Spanish Harlem to get the crib from Espo's friend the woodworker, and I want the walls ready to go.'

'What needs to be done?'

Daniel stuffed the last bit of sandwich crust in his mouth, gestured for Dave to follow him into the nursery. He went to the closet and retrieved three tubes like those an artist would use to transport rolled-up oil canvasses. 'These are acryllic overlays for the walls, to give the room the tropical reef motif we want. They are put in place with a special clear coat, but the walls underneath them have to be dry, which is why we couldn't do it last night.'

'Makes sense.' Dave rolled up his sleeves. 'Where's the clear-coat?'

By the time Ryan and Esposito arrived with Castle in tow with the crib in pieces, Daniel and Dave were admiring the three overlays they'd pasted on - one, a coral and stone form by the closet, another, a school of brightly coloured fish to sit above the wall-side edge of the crib and the third, a sunken galleon ship on the wall where the end of the catch-all bench would be.

'Those look amazing,' Ryan said earnestly, admiring the look.

'They came out really nicely, they're pictures I took when Andrea and I went to the Bahamas last July.'

'Gil called, Kelley's got a swim class this morning, so he'll be here after lunch to help get other furniture and stuff put into place,' Esposito added, lifting the latch on the tool-kit he'd brought with him. 'Do you need to let those overlays dry a little or can we get started on the crib building?'

'Let's start on the crib building.'

'Okay. Castle and I have got that, you go and bring up your stuff from the storage unit.'

Daniel nodded with Ryan, not at all put out by Esposito's bossiness; the man was good at organizing the troops. He and Ryan went to the building's storage unit where they found the shelving unit as well as the storage drawers that fit underneath for keeping things organized.

'We'll come back for the bureau,' Daniel told the detective, 'it's way too heavy if we've already got some full hands.'

'Fair enough. Hey, how's your dad doing?' Ryan asked as they dragged the light-but-awkwardly-long box out of the mesh-caging that made up the storage unit.

'He's finally back to feeling like himself, or at least sounding like himself again. He's still got two more weeks at the clinic for his initial physiotherapy.'

'For a heart-attack?'

'Yep so that he'll know what his limits are for exercise until the doctor gives him better clearance.'

'That's good. Must be nice having him closer.'

Daniel bobbed his head side-to-side as he pressed the button for the service elevator. 'For me, but then, he's farther away from Sean, right?'

'That's true too.'

'Mostly, I like knowing he's okay.' He paused. 'Andrea's mother is moving back to the city, to begin making amends and redevelop her relationship with Andrea.'

'That's...good?' Ryan asked hesitantly.

'I think so. The woman genuinely seems like she wants to make it right with her daughter.' Daniel paused once more. 'I really hope it works, Andrea deserves to have some of her blood family back, but...what if it doesn't work, and I'm there cleaning up Agnes' mess?'

'I think you love your wife very much, and that good or bad, you'll know what to do for her.'

'Now if only there was a way to remind me of that when she is dilated at seven centimetres,' he chuckled, making the detective laugh with him. 'That would be even more helpful.'

'Hey, all of us upstairs have been there,' Ryan assured him. 'And my wife had Dell without any drugs.'

'Shit.'

'That's what I thought too, but I was there for her, held her hand the entire time. You'll do fine, Daniel.'

* * *

><p>R&amp;R&amp;Enjoy<p> 


	55. Reunion

_Hello my awesome Crumbsians! Are you all back to normal after being punk'd like that by Jonny H? Not going to lie, I was listening to his song on repeat as I wrote this chapter. Read and you'll understand why!_

* * *

><p>When Meredeth pulled to the curb outside of Andrea's building on Sunday afternoon, Andrea sighed in blissful contentment. The weekend with the girls at Aqua de la Vie had been just what the doctor ordered to feel like a sexy female once more. She'd had her legs and bikini waxed, gotten her fingers and toes done so they were both a charming coral, had a maternity massage, even gotten her hair done. Her maternity books had advised against getting a whole new style as the extra hormones meant it might turn out to be a disaster, so she'd instead gone for treating what she had like royalty with a few inches whacked off the bottom and a hot-oil conditinoer treatment.<p>

She looked at Meredeth, grinned as they retrieved her suitcase from the trunk. 'What do you think, would you wanna do me, if you were Daniel?'

Meredeth chuckled; as a mother of three she understood all too well Andrea's need for reassurance. 'Of course I would. I'm partial to redheads,' she said with a wink.

'You sound like Donally. Long story.' Andrea pulled up the retracting handle of her luggage-on-wheels. 'Thanks for the weekend, Mere.'

'Wait, wait, you almost forgot this.' Meredeth handed her the shopping bag. 'Can't have you forgetting all those nice things for the Hamptons in two weeks.'

Um, Mere, can I ask you something?'

'Of course, darling.'

She shoved her sunglasses to her head, wrinkled her nose a little. 'You and Javi, when you were pregnant, how were you guys intimate with each other?'

'Same way we always were.'

'No, I mean like, how did you work around the bump.'

'Oh, that. You might feel like an animal, but him behind you is fantastic when you feel gross and bloated and horny as hell.'

'Really?'

'Yep, just take my word for it. Same with being on top. You may think you look like a mother walrus, but it takes all the pressure off your abdomen and your back and it feels great.' Meredeth chuckled, slammed the lid of the trunk. 'Feeling a little anxious for your hubby?'

'Just a tad.'

'Been there, more than once. Go get 'em killer,' she laughed, and Andrea headed inside, hummed a little tune to herself all the way up the elevator and right to her front door.

When Andrea stepped into her apartment, she immediately smelled the soft sterile scent of the organic cleaning products Daniel had switched to once they'd learned of Andrea's pregnancy. Looking around, she could see the space of the kitchen and living room, even the small office nook, was sparkling. The floors had been swept and vacuumed, the sinks were gleaming, everything was neat as a pin.

'What did Daddy do while we were gone?' she murmured, rubbing her belly as the baby did a slow, graceful turn inside her womb. 'Here I thought he'd be out with the boys for beer and wings.'

'That was Friday night, after you left.'

Daniel grinned at his wife as he came out of the bedroom, felt his heart give a little lurch when he saw how soft and sweet she looked. She hadn't changed anything, so whatever the hell scrubs or pomades the spa-technicians used on her made her looked positively angelic. 'Hello, sexy.'

'Hello sexy, back.'

He dipped his head to give her a long, slow kiss and wasn't surprised when she put some sizzle in it herself. 'I missed you.'

'Same goes.'

'I have a little surprise for you. But it can wait.' Daniel saw the glimmer in her eyes and knew it well, so he toyed with the top button of her blouse; it popped open to reveal hints of her gorgeous bosom rising and falling slowly with rising anticipation. 'There's something I've been wanting to do all weekend with you.'

'Oh?'

'Mm-hmm.'

Daniel toyed with another button on her blouse, then another, pulling her forward by the edges of the fabric towards their bedroom. They were halfway there when he had her top off and was working on the zipper of her skirt while her hands were busy pulling off his t-shirt so he was just in the loose black work-out shorts. She was in her cute floral-print maternity panties and matching bra by the time he sat down on the end of the bed.

'This might take a little manoeuvring, but I think we can manage it,' he told her, running his hands over her thighs. 'You feel all...smooth and silky.'

'Mmm,' was all Andrea could think to say; his touch was magic to her senses and she let her head roll back on her shoulders as he planted little kisses up the side of her pregnant belly. 'Feels good, baby.'

'Good.' Daniel stood up again, tilted her chin up so he could see those smoky eyes. His hands stroked over her shoulders, tugged down the straps of her bra. With a single flick of his finger, he flipped the hooks between those beautiful breasts and cupped them in his hands. 'And this?'

Andrea's response was a whimpering sigh. Her nerves sizzled and tingled, and she wrapped her arms around him as best as she could to dig her fingernails into his back. Now her head rolled forward against his solid shoulder. 'Mm-hmm.'

'Here, lie down, baby.' Daniel turned them so Andrea could stretch out on her back and he grinned as he watched her shimmy out of her bra. He ran his hands down her silken thighs, up again to the hem of her underwear to tug them down. When she propped herself on her elbows, he winked at her as he slipped off his own shorts so he was naked with her before he ranged himself on the bed beside her. With one careful hand Daniel touched her, just for the sake of touching her, to feel the life they made together moving inside of her. Her skin was lush and delicate, translucent and honey-kissed as it was wont to do in the burgeoning summer sun, and he indulged himself by tasting it. His lips cruised over her body, starting near her navel and working his way up to the under-curve of her breast.

Andrea murmured in pleasure, dancing her fingers over the back of his head as he bent to kiss the centre of her breast; when his tongue darted out, flicked over her heated nipple, she cried out his name as the heat went from simmer to over-boil in a flash. She arched her back as best as she could, and her husband, her lover, understood what it was she wanted from him without saying a word. He lifted his head to watch her face as his hand slipped up to cover her other breast, his thumb brushing over the taut peak of it. She thought she might melt from it, the tenderness he gave her even as her system, her heart, begged for more.

Then he was kissing her again, lips on lips that his tongue parted to find hers as he nudged her to her side. Daniel's hands were moving over her body, bringing to life every last nerve ending. Andrea's breath grew shakier and shakier the lower his hand went until she felt it slip between her thighs and brush over her where she was achingly wet for him already.

'Feels so good, baby,' she murmured, eyelids heavy with lust. She tried to move against his touch, creating a rhythm with him, but Daniel shook his head,

'This is my turn to do this just for you, my love.'

'Okay.'

Daniel lowered his mouth to neck, one arm beneath her body and snaking around it so he could rest his palm between her breasts to feel her heartbeat. He heard her light keening, felt the slickness of her arousal on his fingers; he kept his pace slow and steady for her, trying to make sure that he gave her as much as he could. When he felt her stiffen against him, then begin to shudder in pleasure, Daniel drew his hand away, moved it down to her knee.

'Here, baby, bend your knee up,' he murmured breathlessly, 'just like that.'

'Why?'

'Easier to do this.'

With a little positioning, Daniel slipped into her from behind and heard her groan in satisfaction as he steadied her hips with his hands to create a beautiful motion that was not only erotic for Andrea but comfortable as well. He kept his hand on her side the entire time in part anchor, part encouragement. 'How's that feel?' he asked in a low voice, rusted with need for his Andrea, his one and only.

'So...so good, Daniel, just keep doing that.'

Andrea tried to writhe beneath him, to show him how much she was enjoying what he did to her, but as the bump and her man's hands on her body were keeping her in place, she instead let go a stream of murmured praises for her husband's sexual prowess, pleading with him to keep going as the pressure wound tighter and tighter in her core until it burst, a supernova of sensation that flood through her from toes to the tips of her hair. She cried out to him and he kept going, urging her on until she was coming once more and this time felt him go with her.

Limp in his arms Andrea tried to catch her breath, felt his whistling against her shoulder where his lips had landed after his own orgasm. 'Danie, I love you so much, baby.' She all but sobbed it to him and she heard him respond back, 'I love you too, Andrea,' in the same wheezing tone.

Then she felt it - the sharp jab to her abdomen that came from within. 'Ow!'

'What is it?' Daniel's head snapped up, all lovely post-coital drift of bliss gone at his wife's sudden cry. 'Is it the baby, is something wrong?'

'No, just a very, very pissed-off foetus,' Andrea replied, rubbing the spot where she'd been elbowed. 'The baby doens't like it when Mama's heart-rate gets going fast like that.'

'Oh well, then.'

Daniel moved down her body a little so he was speaking directly to the belly. 'You take it easy on Mama, shorty. She's doing a lot for you, you know.'

'You mentioned something about a surprise earlier?' Andrea asked as he popped up, grabbed his bathrobe off the back of the door and passed hers to her as well. 'Can we see it now?'

'Well aren't you the greedy one. It's not enough we screwed each others' brains out the second you're home?' Daniel teased her, then tugged on her hand. 'Come on.'

He led her the few steps down to the closed door of the nursery - they'd been so into each other, Andrea hadn't even noticed it was closed before - and with a dramatic flourish, he opened the door. 'Welcome to the Great Brick Reef.'

Andrea's eyes went round as she stepped in, looked around in wonderment. 'You did the nursery this weekend?'

'Yep. Got all the guys together, and we painted the walls, did the crib and the changing table, the bureau, even got the pictures we wanted hung up. You like it?'

When she simply turned to him, nodding with tears in her eyes as she threw her arms around him, Daniel knew he'd done good.


	56. Patience with a Patient: 27 Weeks

'Hey mama, look at you getting so big!'

Andrea glanced up from where she was standing by the nurses' station to see Honey-Milk grinning widely at her. She was indeed feeling bigger now; at twenty-six weeks her bump had popped up once more. Her feet were no longer visible, not even the tips of her toes, when she was standing up straight and gazing down at her body.

'I'm definitely starting to feel it,' she replied to her friend, clicking her pen shut, and sinking into the chair behind the desk. 'I can't believe it's almost seventh months.'

'You getting nervous about the birth?'

'A little bit,' Andrea said honestly. 'Mostly, I'm scared that I won't do it right, that the baby will get stuck or something, and I'll panic and chicken out, you know?'

Honey-Milk nodded in sympathy. 'I was up more than one night thinking about that when I was pregnant with Dell. He was my first baby and I was having a natural birth with no drugs.'

'Owie. I want the drugs. Not enough to make me see bright colours and alternate universes, but enough to take the edge off.'

'Ha, you sound like Meredeth,' she giggled, then looked at her pager when it went off. 'Are you okay with going into the clinic? They're a little overrun and I guess they have a lot of tiny patients.'

'Sure.'

Andrea went to stand up, then groaned, looked at Honey-Milk. 'A little help?'

'You got it.'

* * *

><p>Down in the fast-track clinic, Andrea did intake on six patients when she looked up at the sound of a familiar voice.<p>

'Why we here, Daddy, I feelin' bedda.'

Andrea glanced up, saw Dave there in his work uniform with Carey, who looked absolutely miserable. 'Because you're still coughing and your mother doesn't think you still should be after all the medicine you've had. Hey Andrea, how are you?'

'Big,' she said with a light smile, then looked at Carey, who was putting his hand to his mouth while he coughed. 'That doesn't sound so healthy, Mister Parrish-Robbins. We'll get you checked in, see what's up.'

'Thank-you Andrea. How is baby today?'

'Very good, thank you.'

'I 'tay away, I don' wan' baby getting germs.'

'Well, you'll see the doctor soon, little man,' Andrea reassured him, plucking up a clipboard with the necessary information for Dave. 'Can you get these filled out for the little man?'

'Sure, c'mon Oscar the Grouch.'

She saw him lead the little boy back to the waiting area and when it was his turn to be called Andrea made sure she tied on a mask so Carey wouldn't feel worried about giving the baby his germs. She led them into the examination room, asked Dave the necessary questions.

'He had a touch of a cough and a fever about two weeks ago, and his sinuses are still completely clogged. We figured it was just allergies because he's really prone to them, especially in his eyes,' Dave told her, stroking a hand over the coughing-Carey's head. 'His fever broke inside of twenty-four hours but the cough won't let up, and Lanie said enough's enough time for the doctor. She doesn't want him being sick for this weekend in the Hamptons.'

'Okay, well, let's have a listen, little man.'

Andrea put her stethoscope in her ears, had the little boy breath as deeply as he could. She took his temperature, his heartrate, made notes on his chart and nodded. 'Okay, the doctor should be in to see you in a few minutes, so-'

'Good afternoon, folks.' Doctor Cook, the pediatric specialist herself, swung into the room; apparently it was her day to be on rotation through the clinic. 'Lady Brick, what do we have here.'

'Carey Parrish-Robbins, he's had congested sinuses and a persistent cough that was accompanied by a fever two weeks ago and the cough has diminished after over the counter remedies but it hasn't subsided completely.'

'I see, that's not too fun coming into the summertime, is it Carey?'

Carey shook his head. 'No it is not.'

'Alright let's have a listen to the chest.' Cook put in her own stethoscope into her ears, listened to his chest. 'When you cough, Carey, have you been spitting up anything gross, like when you blow your nose?'

'Nuh-uh.' He shook his head again.

'Just coughing?'

'Uh-huh.'

'Okay.' Cook straightened up, made notes on Carey's chart. 'His lungs sound perfectly clear, which means it's not bronchitis or pneumonia.'

'That's good,' Dave replied with a little bit of relief in his voice.

'It's all in his sinuses, they are so congested that the excess fluid is running down the back of his throat, making him cough so much. Normally, I would prescribe a pill for him to take, but knowing my young patients as I do, I think it's more productive to admit him for a few hours to get rid of the congestion altogether and give you a preventative prescription to take home.'

'I 'tayin' here?' Carey's voice was small, and he rubbed at his green eye with his knuckles. 'All my-self?'

'No, of course not, baby. Daddy's here.' Dave kissed the top of his son's head, gave him a pat on the back.

'Andrea, I think you'll be free to stay with this patient, the influx into the clinic has slowed down now,' Cook told her. 'Thank you for all your help. Can you run a scrip for an ENT thermal line and a drip for pediatric phenylephrine?'

'You got it.'

'What's that? What's a peda-tic fee-na-feen?' Carey asked, making Andrea blink and Dave chuckle.

'My little man is very keen on learning about medicine,' he explained to Andrea. 'He likes to know the meanings of all the jargon Lanie and I use.'

'Oh, okay, well, tell you what Carey. When I get the medicines from the pharmacy Doctor Cook asked me to get, I will tell you exactly what they are for as we get them hooked up to you, okay?' Andrea bargained with the little tyke and Carey nodded.

'That sounds good.'

* * *

><p>True to her word, Andrea took the supplies up to the pediatric ward where she found Dave and Carey in a semi-private room that had an empty bed in it. Dave had dragged over the extra chair for Andrea to sit down in so the pregnant woman wasn't putting undue stress on her back.<p>

'Thanks Dave. Now, Oscar,' she told Carey, using his whole name and making him giggle a little bit as she held up the tubing for his nose. 'This is called an ENT thermal line, it's going to pump nice warm air up into your sinuses to help get rid of all that junk. This goes over your ears like that-' Andrea draped the plastic tubing over his lobes '-and it will feel funny, but it will help you breathe a lot better.'

'What that one?' he asked, pointing to the IV bag. 'That peda-tic fee-na-feen?'

'Pediatric phenylephrine,' she corrected him. 'This is a medicine that helps break up all the big gobs of the garbage in your sinuses, it's the partner for the ENT thermal line.'

'Like Daddy and Jayla?'

'Yeah, like me and Jayla,' Dave said with a smile, then groaned when his pager went off. 'Oh, man, come on.'

'Daddy gotta go?' Carey asked with a little echo of sadness in his voice as Andrea prepared the IV bag.

'I'm so sorry, buddy. Mama's gonna give me grief over this one.'

'It okay, Daddy. Andrea is here, she 'tay wit' me.'

'Absolutely. I'm off in an hour anyways, and I'll stay with him until Lanie's here.'

Dave heaved a sigh, then kissed Carey's head. 'Love you, Carey, I'll see you soon, okay?'

'Okay, Daddy. I gettin' bedda.'

The paramedic left and when he was gone, Carey turned to Andrea, pointed at the needle. 'That gonna hurt?'

'Just a little pinch.'

'I brave, jus' like Dell.' Carey thrust his arm out. 'Let's do it.'

Andrea giggled at the boy's bravado, noting he winced but didn't cry when she hooked him up to the IV. 'This might make you a little sleepy, but that's okay, it's supposed to do that. What is it?' she asked when Carey wrinkled up his brow in concentrated confusion.

'Dell diabe-bit, right? Four nee'les a day.'

'Right.'

'Why he no' have this?' Carey poked at the IV tube running into his arm. 'It way easier.'

'Because Dell's diabetes are the kind that he only needs the needles a couple of times a day. There are some people who have a different kind of diabetes and they need their insulin with them all the time.'

'Oh. That's funny. Hi Auntie Jenny!'

Andrea glanced up, saw Honey-Milk standing in the doorway. 'Hey Nurse Ryan.'

'Heard we had one of our own on the floor. What's happening Carey?'

'I coughin' and Mama say see a doc-tor.'

'If you don't need me for anything else right now, Jenny, you mind if I stay here with Carey?' Andrea asked, not surprised when Jenny hemmed and hawed in the way of a parent wanting to surprise a child.

'I don't know, I can only agree to that if Carey promises to behave and not have any wild parties.'

'I no' a party amimal, that Violet,' he said indignantly, making the women laugh. 'She loves parties.'

'That she does. Alright, I suppose it's alright for Andrea to stay.'

'Yea!' Carey clapped his hands, then set to coughing, which had Andrea patting his back.

'Easy tiger, you need to rest.'

'Can we watch _Finding Nemo_?'

It was how Daniel found his baby mama when he was out of surgery and off-shift himself - sitting in the hospital bed beside Carey, who was hugging Andrea's belly, rubbing his hand in little circles over it as he told the baby of the action on screen.

'Please tell me this isn't another pre-birth romance that's blooming,' Daniel teased them, coming into the room with a tray in his hands. 'Is the patient okay to have a snack?'

'Yes sir.'

'I'm no' coughin now,' Carey said proudly, wiggled his wrist. 'My peda-tic fee-na-feen helpin' me.'

'That it is,' Andrea agreed, then looked at the tray her husband held with an eagle eye. 'Is that frozen yogurt?'

'Indeed it is. Raspberry-pineapple for you, kiwi mango for me, and since I didn't know what kind Carey might like, he gets vanilla with mixed fruit on the side.'

'Mm-mm, yummy. Thank you.' Carey accepted the little cup with the spoon from Daniel, then watched the television screen before he spoke to Andrea's belly once more. 'See, baby, that the little girl all the fishes are 'fraid of. You no haffa be 'faid, Mama and me are here.'

* * *

><p>R&amp;R&amp;Enjoy<p> 


	57. Weekend Away A

'Holy shit.'

'No swearing around the baby, Daddy.'

'Sorry, my little kangaroo, but seriously, I forgot how big this place is. It's huge!'

Daniel was more than a little gobsmacked seeing the size of Castle's sea-side house. He'd originally wanted to call it a cottage, but there was no way he could do that when the mansion was bigger than the houses of his brother and father combined. He turned the rental car into the driveway, saw only the sleek eco-friendly Lincoln and Meredeth's Nissan in the driveway. 'Looks like we're here early. See, Harvey giving us the amnio results didn't put us behind schedule.'

'Hear that, baby?' Andrea spoke to her belly before looking at her husband with a little grin. 'That's the sound of Daddy gloating.'

'Love you too, sweetheart.'

She laughed, unbuckled her seatbelt. The house looked even more majestic in the summertime, Andrea thought, steadying her weight as she got to her feet. With the sandy shore in front of the wrap-around porch that sloped down into marshy grass near the boathouse, it was a little oasis; hard to believe there was a bustling metropolis like New York City only two hours drive away.

There was little time to appreciate the tranquility, as Andrea could hear Arturo sending up the call that new people had arrived, and was trotting around the side of the house with Meredeth, Leo, and RJ.

'Ah-tie! No barkin'! You be nice!' RJ said as sternly as he could; the dog slowed his pace down as he approached the pregnant woman and snuffled comically at her belly, sneezed when the baby kicked. 'Tha's right, you shoo.'

'Thank you RJ,' Andrea grinned as the boy tried to wrap his arms around her girth, felt his little hands pat at her stomach.

'Hi in there, it's Ah-Shay. How you feelin'?'

'The baby says hi too RJ, and he or she is feeling very good, but a little hungry.'

'Daddy baba-coo-in',' he informed her, - he was very proud of learning his new word - and taking her hand, RJ looked over at Daniel who had the suitcases. 'Daniel, I help?'

'No, it's okay, buddy, I got it, there's only two bags. You go get Andrea and the baby a snack.'

'O-kay!'

Meredeth chuckled at the boy's enthusiasm as he raced ahead of them. 'Castle's got some burgers of various composition on the grill, and I made red raspberry iced tea.'

'Sounds delicious.'

'Dededede.' Leo babbled away as he kicked and wriggled against Meredeth's torso. 'Mumumum.'

'It does sound yummy, doesn't it, wiggles?'

Leo smiled at his mami, and Andrea could see the little nubs of two white teeth in his lower gum. 'Oh, man, I bet that was a painful night, wasn't it?'

'My main man here took after his big sister and screamed bloody murder when his were breaking through. Trini was just interested in chewing on everything but Leo insisted on telling us at all hours of the night how uncomfortable he was. Eh, mister, you got some lungs to you, dontcha?' Meredeth tickled her son's tummy and Leo wiggled once more.

'Dadadada?'

'Daddy's taken the girls' swimming, you and me are staying here for a moment or two. Hey, look who I found!'

Andrea rounded the corner of the porch with Meredeth and saw Castle at the massive grill, along with Beckett who was sipping iced tea and RJ who was shoving his toys off of the padded swing to the porch.

'Here, you sit here, An-dee-ah. Baby be comfy.'

'Thank

'I a shennel-min, right Mumum?' RJ looked to Beckett for reassurance and she gave him a warm smile.

'That you are.'

Andrea had just settled into the spot beside her friend when she groaned. 'Oh, man, baby, Mama just sat down, now you're making me need to pee?'

'You know where it is.'

Once Andrea had stepped through the sliding doors, Beckett looked at her husband, her friend that she considered a sister. 'So, you think she'll like it?'

'I do.' Meredeth nodded.

'Really?' 'You don't think it's too much like what we did for you last year with the twins, do you?'

'My goodness, Detective.' Castle set his barbecue tongs down, came over to poke his wife in the stomach. It was almost lunchtime and the rest of the troops were going to be arriving soon. 'Katherine Louise, I've seen you run SWAT operations with less anxiety.'

'Apples and oranges,' Meredeth returned as she snuggled with Leo on her hip. 'Right Leo?'

'Bububub,' Leo gurgled happily, clapped his hands together and blinking his brown eyes at the detective. 'Nininini?'

'That's him asking for his sister,' Meredeth said with a little smile. 'They're both so close to talking. Trini says 'Lolo' for Leo and he says 'Nini'.'

'They 'mart, Mer-det',' RJ told her, pushing his toy trucks around on the wooden planks of the porch. 'Tee-nee gonna say Ah-Shay soon too?'

Beckett snickered. 'Listen, Romeo, she can't even talk yet, let's lay off the match-making for a little while okay?'

'O-kay, Mumum.'

'Mamamamam. Ninini?' Leo said again, looking at Meredeth.

'Alright, already, we'll go find Nini.'

* * *

><p>When the rest of the gang arrived by three pm that afternoon, Daniel felt both relaxed and energized. Being around these people - their family - made him feel part of something special. Not just what he had with Andrea, that was in its own class; this, watching everyone participate in the first day of Castle's Twelfth Precinct Olympic Games, filled him with such joy and yet he felt no stress around them, no wondering if Andrea would feel awkward and out of place.<p>

It was a liberating feeling, and made him look forward to the day of his child's birth all the more, when this group would be there in the hospital with them both, encouraging them the entire way.

He watched Andrea waving her chequered flag from her spot under the umbrella, her face a study of glee. Next summer, their own little boy or girl would get to participate in these games, maybe even win a little medal like Duncan or Trini had.

When Andrea had gone inside for a nap - she needed one almost every day now that she was twenty-seven weeks along - Daniel had watched the others spring into action to put together the decorations for the baby shower they were throwing for Andrea and Daniel. He'd already known they were planning a baby shower but Andrea had no idea; she was perfectly content thinking that between her mother moving back to New York, her own job, her relationship with Daniel, birthing classes and her own interests her equally busy friends would be throwing her a baby shower after the birth.

Once again, his bride was in for a very pleasant surprise.

Daniel looked around at the living room, where Honey-Milk, Lili, and Esposito had put up decorations and Lanie had put pitchers of fresh fruit juice at the bar along with iced tea and fresh club soda. Back in the kitchen, Cam, Ryan, and Beckett were finishing up with some tasty snacks, while Castle, Dave and Meredeth kept an eye on all the babies so they wouldn't be underfoot with the preparations going on. When he got the all clear from Ryan and Lanie to go and fetch Andrea, Daniel headed to the second floor where he slipped quietly into his and Andrea's room; he wasn't surprised to find her lying on her side, a pillow between her knees and one arm flung over her eyes. His sweet little bride had developed rather odd sleeping positions the closer she got to her due date.

Moving behind her, Daniel draped his arm in the groove between her bump and her breasts, kissed her cheek lightly.

'Hey mama,' he murmured. 'You want to sleep through dinner or you feel like coming downstairs now?'

'What time is it?'

'Almost five.'

'I could do with a nibble. Baby wants something crunchy and something chewy.'

As there were sandwiches downstairs that would make Garfield the Cat weep tears of joy, Daniel knew it would be manageable to fulfill that request. 'Why don't we head downstairs, see what Castle has in that mammoth-sized kitchen?'

'In a minute, I wanna tidy up a little first.'

Daniel watched her brush her hair, and for a few moments just enjoyed the beauty of his wife - soft creamy skin, long arms and legs, and that beautiful baby bump he could actually see wiggling around under her summer top. Walking up behind her, he wrapped his arms around her, gave her a noisy kiss on the cheek.

'I love you so much, Andrea.'

'I love you too Daniel.' She patted his hands, then turned and held out her own. 'Help me up?'

'Of course, my sweet.'

He tugged her to her feet and as they headed downstairs, Daniel briefly wondered if he should have brought his own camera with him; the thought flew out of his head as Andrea hit the bottom stair into the kitchen and stopped dead in her tracks as everyone, even the babies yelled 'Surprise!'

'Oh my god, what is all of this?' she gasped, pressing her hands to her chest as she looked around at the decorations. 'Daniel,' she laughed even as the waterworks threatened to gush, 'what did you do, baby?'

'Not me, us.' Beckett stepped forward, handed Andrea a very large tumbler of sparkling apple juice. 'Lanie, Honey-Milk and I, we wanted to figure out a time to throw you a surprise baby shower before his or her arrival and this was the only weekend we knew everyone would be here.'

'Thank you so much.'

'No tears, An-de-ah.' RJ, who'd been standing beside Esposito with Trini, stepped forward to pat her hand. 'Issa happy time.'

'You're right, RJ,' Dell agreed, passing Andrea a tissue. He remembered when Mallory had been inside his mother and she'd gotten weepy; he was a man prepared. 'We are gonna play some games, and have a suh-nack, and open puh-resents.'

'An' cake! No fo-git cake!' Violet reminded him.

'No, we no' fo-getting the cuh..cake,' Tessi said, proud that her stutter was starting to go away thanks to her hard work. Stepping up beside RJ, she threaded her little fingers through Andrea's sturdy ones. 'Time to start the games, Andrea'.'

'First, the baby wants a little snack,' Andrea replied, and laughed when Carey moved toward her, a plate in his hand.

'Here, Andrea, Mama says you like buff-lo chicken an' 'pinach on toast,' he said with a bashful little blush. Something about the pretty redheaded lady made him feel funny in the tummy. 'An' berries on the side.'

'That's so sweet, thank you, Carey.'

'Now presents!' Mallory clapped her hands. 'And games! Let's go!'

The group, all twenty-something of them, filed into the living room where Lili steered Andrea over to an overstuffed armchair; she put a crown on the mama-to-be's head, gave her a cute little scepter. 'Now, what are we going to play first? And what can I get you to drink?'


	58. Weekend Away B

An hour and a half later, they were going through the sandwiches and other snacks like beavers in a lumber yard as they finished the last of the games - Lanie, as usual, went cuckoo over the baby-themed pictionary, and everyone got a great chuckle when the little ones played their own game of 'pin the rattle on the baby', with Rosie the miles-ahead winner and receiving a prize she insisted she would share with the baby.'

'Mami says sharin' is the nice thing to do,' she told Andrea, watching the way the belly wiggled and jiggled; the movements made the little girl laugh. 'Your baby is very dance-y tonight.'

'I guess so, huh?'

'Would you like a bev-er-age?'

'A beverage?'

Rosie nodded. 'Mami and _tante _Meredeth say it all the time.'

'I would love a beverage, thank you Rosie.'

'My turn!' Seeing Rosie had turned to leave, RJ elbowed his way through the group and grinned at Andrea, gave her belly a pat. 'Hi An-dee-ah, hi baby, you haffin' fun?'

'We are having a great time.'

'I gotta peasant. Baby like it?'

'I'm sure the baby will love it, since you picked it out specially.' Andrea smiled widely at the little boy; though she didn't like to play favourites, there was something extra special to her about RJ Castle. 'Did you go shopping with your girlfriend to pick it out?'

'I no' haffa gull-fin, An-dee-ah!' But there was a little blush in RJ's cheeks as he said it. 'Gotta be big, like Tessi an' Alessis.'

'Speaking of which, wasn't your sister supposed to be here this weekend?'

'She's coming up tomorrow with Shane, she just finished her last exam this morning, so they're having a night just themselves tonight.' Beckett supplied, overhearing the conversation. 'RJ, I think Meredeth is feeding Trini and Leo in the kitchen.'

'I go help!'

The detective sighed romantically as she watched her son scarper off. 'Not even two and he's already got a girlfriend,' she said to Andrea. 'He'll need the sex-talk by grade two at this rate.'

'Haven't you already told him where babies come from? He's a curious little boy, he's never wandered in when you and Castle were gettin' busy and you had to stop and explain?'

'Gettin' busy?' Dave plunked himself down on the sofa beside Andrea. 'I didn't know people still used that phrase.'

'They don't, and no that hasn't happened,' Beckett replied.

'What hasn't?'

'Being busted by your children in a passionate moment,' Andrea filled in, then smiled sweetly at Rosie who returned with a bottle of ginger-beer. 'Thanks honey.'

'You are welcome. Where is RJ?'

'He went to find Leo and Trini.'

'O-kay.'

Rosie toddled off, and Dave waited until she was out of ear-range before adding, 'I was coming off the night-shift and was having a shower with Lanie when Carey came in with a bathroom emergency. Try explaining that one to an almost four-year-old.'

'Ooh, are you talking about the children pushing the whoops-button on sexy-times?' Esposito wandered over, crunching on pretzels. 'Even worse is a dog, you can't really explain to a hundred-pound Great-Dane the sounds Mere is making is of enjoyment.'

Beckett pressed her lips together; she remembered one of the stories Meredeth had shared on her bachelorette night about Arturo giving his mistress' lover a lick o the foot and he'd popped too soon. Vaguely, she wondered if Detective Esposito knew she knew about that one. 'Thankfully, RJ hasn't been that curious yet.'

'Just wait, your day will come.' Dave paused. 'No pun intended.'

'You're gross, man,' Esposito shook his head.

'Oh, guys, no fighting, please, not even play fighting,' Andrea pleaded playfully. 'Nothing but happy vibes for the baby.'

'Just as well, because I do believe it's time for presents.'

The group that had been flowing between the kitchen and the living room had reassembled in the living room, putting their gifts on the table in front of Andrea; the sight of it all had her eyes going wide.

'Are these all for the baby?' she asked like a little girl seeing Santa for the first time.

'Yes, Andrea, these are fo' baby,' Tessi answered with a nod. She'd organized all the little kids' presents into one pile and the grown-ups into another. 'The lit-tle ones are f'om us lit-tle ones.'

'We are getting bigger,' Dell said, poking Tessi in the ribs. 'But we are still smaller than Mama and Daddy, so we get to go first.'

'That's fair,' Daniel said, taking a spot by Andrea's knees on the ottoman. 'Babe, you want a footrub?'

'In a minute, I wanna open presents first.'

The gleeful look on her face had everyone smiling as the mother and father to be dove into the children's presents first, finding such treasures as blankets, onsies, and about a million pairs of socks. When they moved on to the other presents, Daniel laughed as Tessi, RJ, and Mallory put all the paper aside so Arturo wouldn't get it, the gifts in their bags to make sure there wasn't any mess.

The first of the big gifts Andrea opened, or what she considered to be one of the big gifts, was one that had Daniel feeling a little bit squeamish - a top of the line breast-pump from Meredeth and Esposito.

'That is going to be a life-saver, trust me,' she told them, and Esposito nodded his agreement, adding, 'Daniel? You look a little green, bro.'

'Just had a sudden flash of my wife in a barn hooked up to an electric milker like a Holstein.'

'It's a lot more delicate than that.'

'Either way, thank you very much, Mere.'

'Open this one next.' Cam reached out his cane, poked the square package wrapped in dancing stick-figures towards Andrea. 'Kinda goes with it.'

'Oh, how perfect!' Andrea actually found herself cooing over the diaper genie, then gave Cam and Lili a confused look. 'How is this related to a breast-pump?'

'You know, in one end, out the other,' he said with a goofy little grin, making everyone else groan, even fifteen-month-old Duncan.

'Daddy bein' yucky,' he said to Andrea and Daniel. 'He yucky.'

'He is being yucky, isn't he?' Daniel agreed. 'Which one should we do next, Duncan Donut?'

The little boy looked around at the group of gifts, pointed to one wrapped in green paper with lightening bolts. 'Ummm, tha' one!'

'Okay.'

The package turned out to be Lanie and Dave's, and it was, as the others correctly guessed, a baby bath-tub. There wasn't much that grossed out Dave the paramedic, but babies being bathed in the kitchen sink fairly did it. Lanie had told Andrea that when they'd begun planning Carey's nursery, the first piece of furniture purchased hadn't been the crib, it was the baby bath-tub at Dave's insistence. It was followed up with unwrapping a gorgeous roboso-wrap in fall colours for carrying the baby around in rather than using an awkward, almost mechanical-feeling jolly-jumper.

The final present, though, was the best one of all - a three-in-one pram-stroller combo from Beckett and Castle that would be very handy indeed.

'Oh, now you can meet me and Tessi and the twins and go for walks with the baby!' Meredeth said excitedly.

'And you will love it in the winter when you're doing your shopping,' Lanie added, 'Violet just loved snuggling up in her cozy little pram, it was a dream taking her into stores.'

'I don't know what to say.' Andrea looked around at all of them, then at Daniel. 'A simple 'thank you' just doesn't seem to cut it, huh?'

'Well, it works for us,' Castle replied, 'especially since dinner is just about ready to be served.'

* * *

><p>When the party was beginning to die down a little bit, as the babies were going to bed, Daniel saw Andrea slip out to get a breath of fresh air on the porch. He went out and joined her on the padded swing, watching the lights of boats near the island. She'd wrapped one of the woven throw blankets around her shoulders, the bump poking out beyond the blanket's fringe.<p>

Sitting down beside her Daniel put his arm around her shoulders, pulled her close so she leaned against his sturdy shoulder.

'Great party,' she murmured, 'it feels...so surreal, you know?'

'Still?'

'No, I mean in a good way. Six months ago, it felt like we were a little steamrolled in being included and now...now I can't imagine a single one of them not there for the birth.'

'Even the kids?'

'Even the kids,' Andrea agreed with a little nod. 'They are so much their own little people, not miniature versions of their parents. They've got their own little social order, their own codes-'

'There's even a few budding romances too.'

'Dell and Tessi, and RJ and Trini. Poor Javier. He's in for some rough years with teenage girls, and God help him if his and Mere's fourth baby is another girl.'

Daniel looked at her. 'You know something I don't?'

'Oh, no, Mere's not pregnant,' Andrea laughed, 'she just mentioned earlier that she and Javi are going to try for number four once the twins turn a year old.'

'I hear tell they practice plenty.' He kissed his wife's temple, fluttering his lips as he did. 'Just like us for the next one.'

Andrea giggled, then turned her head so her lips landed on her husband's. 'I don't know about you but I'm feeling like we could do with some practicing soon.'

'Yeah?'

'Yeah. Just to make sure we got this one right.'

'Oh well.' Daniel cuddled her close. 'I'll gladly give you a hand with that one. Or another body part.'

'Dirty boy.'

'And you love me.'

'Bet your ass I do.'

The sliding doors opened, and Meredeth and Esposito stepped out, hands linked at the fingers as the detective pulled his wife in for a kiss.

'Nice to get a little alone time, huh?' he murmured, running his hands down her back, then stopped and looked around when he heard the sound of a throat being cleared. As it was growing dark, the shadows covered up the little flush on his cheeks. 'Oh, hey guys, didn't know you were out here.'

'Baby needed a break from the noise,' Daniel replied.

'Actually, I'm glad you're out here.' Meredeth turned around so she spooned up against her husband. 'How do you feel about trading places for the night?'

Come again?'

'We know what preggo hormones can do to the body,' she explained with a wink, 'so you can take the boathouse and be as loud as you want.'

'Thank you,' Daniel said so quickly, Meredeth laughed.

'I'd wish you goodnight but that seems rather redundant.'

* * *

><p>R&amp;R&amp;Enjoy<p> 


	59. A New Lease: 28 Weeks

A week after coming home loaded with baby gadgets and clothes from the Hamptons, Daniel awoke on Saturday morning feeling like he'd swallowed a can-can-kicking octopus - Agnes had flown into New York and they were going to spend the day apartment hunting.

Rolling to his side, he wasn't surprised to find Andrea lying with her back to him; his blood rushed in his veins like a geyser when he moved closer, saw her hand was slipped between her thighs gently moving back and forth as she mewled softly against the pillow. He'd watched her touch herself before when they were in bed together, but waking up to see her taking care of her hormone surges was another level of erotica altogether.

'Babe?' he asked in a hoarse whisper, 'you want me to help you with that?'

'God, yes.'

He made love to her gently, sweetly in the way that reminded Andrea however hot and heavy things could get with her raging soup of hormones, there was still tenderness to be had, the kind that had propelled them into the pregnancy in the first place. When they were done, and Daniel was cozied up behind his gorgeous girl once more, he heard her heave a sigh of contentment.

'That's a great way to start today, so if everything goes to shit, I'll know at least the day started off with a bang.'

'You gonna try out that iPod thing Alexis and Shane gave you? The one with the speakers for your belly?'

'Uh-huh, and the baby gets to listen to _Bishijo Senshi Sera Mun_ today while we spend it with my mother.' Andrea twisted, gave her husband a kiss before sitting up. She scratched the outside of her thigh, winced. 'Daniel?'

'Yes, my love.'

'You think you could help me shave my legs?'

'Shave your legs?'

'Uh-huh, they feel all nubby and prickly, and I want them silky-smooth to wear under that cute maternity sundress I got.'

'Of course, baby.'

'And maybe...a little higher up too?'

Daniel arched an eyebrow at her. 'Excuse me?'

'You know what I mean. Please?'

'Fine,' he sighed teasingly, earning a pillow to the head. 'The things I do for you, even when you beat on me.'

* * *

><p>An hour and a half later, freshly showered and shaven, the happy couple were on their way to meet Agnes and her realtor at the first stop on the house-hunt tour. As they walked up the stairs of the East Fifty-Seventh Street station, Daniel watched Andrea with a sharp eagle eye.<p>

'Honey, you feeling okay?'

'Yes, Daniel, I'm feeling fine, why?'

'Just...you look very big and pregnant all of a sudden,' he said in a bashful tone. 'I don't want you tipping over or something.'

'Daniel.' Andrea stopped in the middle of the sidewalk. 'I am not a Mack truck without a trailer, I'm not going to tip over.'

'Noted. Now where are we meeting Agnes and Deborah again?'

'Just down the block.'

To Andrea's surprise, Agnes was already there and waiting on a bench outside the building, tapping away at her Blackberry. She didn't have the usual high-gloss finish she always appeared to have, Andrea noted; she was in rather casual wear of tailored white crop pants and a nautical-blue blouse with the stripe in her top matching the peep-toe wedge sandals on her feet. She glanced up and Andrea knew this wasn't going to be an ordinary visit with her mother. For one, there was no glaze or cloudiness in her eyes, for another, she didn't offer a smile that was just a little too wide for its own good. Instead she stood up and embraced her daughter as tightly as she could.

'Hello, darling,' she sighed, then held her out at arm's length. 'My goodness, you look so big! When is the baby due again?'

'August fifteenth.'

'My goodness, not long to go, is it?' Agnes held back telling her daughter the entire flight up from the Caribbean she'd been listening to an audiobook copy of _My Daughter the Mother: A Guide for First-Time Grandparents_ so she could start getting herself as well-informed as possible. 'Do you know yet if it's a boy or a girl?'

'No, we're waiting to find out,' Daniel replied, a surge of hope welling in his chest. This was, as far as he could tell, a changed woman, the kind of woman who deserved Andrea as a daughter. 'So, is this the place?'

'The first one, there's four to look at. Deborah's got a car to take us around, she's on her way here from another appointment. I love the location on this one, it's nice and close to Central Park, but how far is it from your place? Not that I want to be in your pockets, mind you,' Agnes added hastily, 'but I'm just thinking with you being pregnant, then having a little one in a stroller or pram, you wouldn't visit because it's too far to take things.'

'We're on East Twenty-Second Street, just off of Grammercy Park, so no, maybe twenty-minutes on the subway at most.'

'Well, this is only one of four that are in my price range, so let's look at it first.' Agnes flipped to the notes she'd been making on her Blackberry. 'Single floor condo in a co-op building, twenty-two hundred square feet, three bedroom one guest bath and one private ensuite. I don't know if I like a single floor, though.'

Andrea opened her mouth to say that a single floor would be better if a baby was going to be around, but was cut off when a hunter-green compact raced to the curb, nearly jumped it. A woman maybe five years younger than Agnes who looked far tougher in her business suit and French twist popped out of the driver's side, stiletto heels clicking over the stone of the sidewalk.

'Agnes McMaster?'

'Yes.'

'Deborah Judson.' The woman held out her hand, pumped it like a water-well handle. 'I understand you're looking to purchase, not just to rent?'

'Yes, that's correct. I'm moving back to New York to be closer to my daughter and son-in-law.' Agnes brushed her hand over Andrea's arm. 'This is Andrea and her husband Daniel, and my grand-baby.'

'Congratulations. Well, let's take a look inside, shall we?'

Upstairs, the space was wide and echoing owing to the lack of furniture but the hardwood floors were gleaming, as was the marble counter-top in the kitchen and its stainless steel appliances.

'There is a tonne of space in here, perfect for entertaining,' Deborah said, leading them through the space.

'What about the building itself, are there many families?' Agnes asked.

'No, it's mostly snowbirds and young couples on the up-and-up.'

Agnes looked around, saw visions of glittery people having receptions here, meetings of ladies running social events over tea and nasty gossip. She shook her head; she'd had her fill of that and if she wanted more, then why was she moving back to New York in the first place? 'Yes, I'm looking for something that could lean towards making friends with other grandparents, or young families.'

'Ah, yes, this isn't the place then.'

They piled into the car and made the next stop at Fifty-First and Lexington, a spot that had much more promise to Daniel's mind in that it was closer, but Agnes vetoed it as it had a doorman only. The next stop was West Forty-Eighth Street in Clinton, which had Andrea perking up.

'That's not too far from Jenny and Kevin's place,' she murmured to Daniel as Deborah and Agnes discussed business in the front seat of the car while they waited for the light to change. 'They're close to a really nice park and good shopping in this neighbourhood.'

'Sounds promising for her.'

When the car stopped outside the building - three-ninety-one West Forty-Eighth Street - Andrea looked up and down the street. It was in a school neighbourhood, just a short walk to Saint Bart's where Dell Ryan went to school, which meant lots of young families in the area, along with a low crime rate. There was a gated park beside the building and at the nearest intersection, where Eighth Avenue crossed over, there was an Italian restaurant, a coffee shop and a Martindale's Express twenty-four seven grocery store. Perfect for a new grandmother with her baby.

'I'm not sure if this will be your speed,' Deborah said with a little bit of a frown. 'This one is seventeen hundred square feet, also a single level with secured entrance as well as building wide security cameras. There are two bedrooms, one and a half baths. The space for entertaining is best suited for a new family.'

'My daughter and her husband are a new family,' Agnes replied evenly, 'and I want them to feel comfortable and safe in my new home. Let's have a look.'

The moment they were in the door, Agnes sighed in contentment as she looked around. The space was smaller than the other places they'd seen, but Agnes wanted small, she didn't want to have space she felt obligated to fill with people she didn't care about. The kitchen was small but in a cozy way, and the two bedrooms overlooked the gated park which made Agnes feel very secure about having an infant in the house. She could see putting a pair of leather armchairs with a complimenting suede couch around a credenza that contained a television, the other shelves filled with photographs of moments they would create and have together.

'Yes,' she murmured, turning to Andrea and Daniel. 'What do you think?'

'I like it,' Daniel said honestly, envisioning the space at Christmas, filled with the scents of pine-trees and baked bread. 'I would be comfortable bringing our baby here. Andrea?'

'Yes,' Andrea murmured in the same way Agnes had. 'Deborah, what else can you tell us about this place?'

'They're asking five-thirty-five, they'll go as low as five-twenty. All appliances are included in the price, as well as coverage of transferring utilities including phone, Internet and cable.'

'And security?'

'Secure building with cameras by the elevator bay and fire exit on all five floors.'

Agnes looked at Andrea and Daniel. 'You think this will work?'

'I think it's perfect for what you want, Mom,' Andrea replied.

'Then, that's it. I'll put in an offer, twenty percent of the asking price as down-payment.' Agnes dug into her bag, and Daniel's eyes popped wide when she withdrew a cashier's check from her wallet. 'I trust the paper-work can be sent to my address in the Bahamas?'

Deborah's eyes were as wide as Daniel's as she looked at the check for one hundred and seven thousand dollars. 'Of course, ma'am. You'll have it by the end of the week, courrier post.'

'Excellent. When will I be able to move my things in?'

'We'll talk next week, iron out those details.'

Agnes nodded, satisfied with her purchase, turned to her gobsmacked daughter and son-in-law. 'Thank you so much for coming with me.'

'Of course Mom.' Andrea felt a little bubble of hope in her belly. 'Now can we have lunch?'


	60. Where the Boys Are B

'Just like that?'

'It was the weirdest thing I've seen in my life.'

Daniel shook his head as he drank his beer. It was cards night in Chelsea - Castle and Beckett had flown to England with Martha, RJ and Shane for Alexis' graduation from Cambridge, so Esposito was hosting cards while their usual host was in Europe. He was regaling the table with the story of how Agnes had just put nearly a year's worth of Daniel's salary in the hands of the realtor like it was no big deal.

'You ever see Mere do anything like that?' Daniel asked Esposito, who shook his head.

'Not for herself, no. She'll drop mad cash for the Twelfth's survivor's fund or the New York Literacy Foundation.'

'Where is your lady at tonight, anyways,' Gil asked, looking around. 'Thought she'd be here with Lady Brick and the tots.'

'Nope, Mere cleared out for us to have a proper boys night, she took the kids to visit Lili and Cam for the night.'

'So when do the dancing girls get here?' Ryan said with a wink.

'I dunno, give your mom a call, Kev,' Dave shot back.

'Meredeth left snacks.'

'Snacks?' Daniel tried not to be interested, but he remembered well the tasty morsels Meredeth had contributed to the weekend in the Hamptons and wondered if they were getting the same kind of stuff tonight. 'What kind?'

'Pizza, spinach and cheese dip, fresh veggies, and some kind of chicken.'

'How does she find time to do it?' he asked Esposito as the cards were dealt. 'Three babies under the age of five, and working on a fourth one soon? That's a lot of energy.'

'Well, Tessi's getting older now, she's getting to be more independent and helping Meredeth with the twins comes very naturally to her. And how do you know Mere and I are planning one more baby?'

'Women talk, bro,' Gil reminded him, glancing at his cards and tossing the hand in. 'I'm out.'

'Who have thought it? Javier Esposito, a married man and father of four,' Ryan egged his partner. 'You certainly have come a long ways, bro.'

'Nah, I think that honour goes to our next daddy-to-be.' Like Gil, Dave tossed his cards in, knowing he wouldn't win shit with the hand he had. 'Think about Daniel and Andrea from back at Christmas. Like two little Bambis trying to determine if we're Thumper or the hunter.'

'You've been watching too much Disney,' Ryan commented.

'Violet likes the bright colours.'

'Right, Violet likes 'em.'

'Shut up.'

Esposito laughed, tossed in a few chips. 'Children, behave yourselves, or you won't get any cookies.'

'Cookies?' Now Ryan was the one with the greedy glint in his eye. 'You didn't say anything about cookies.'

'My god, did Meredeth take the babies or leave them with me?' Esposito wondered aloud in mock astonishment. 'There are double peanut butter, super-chocolate and your precious candy-coated beer-nut sugar cookies.'

'Sick.'

'Now can we get back to cards?'

The break in the childish nature of the men's antics didn't last long, as Gil asked Daniel if he was signed up with Andrea yet for the birthing classes.

'That was something I kinda got to skate on ever so slightly because Robina knew that our baby was going to be a C-section right from square one. It was more about keeping her calm and focused than pain management.'

'Well I know about pain management, I am a nurse anesthetist.'

'And what if Andrea wants a natural, drug-free birth?' Ryan asked him, a little bit pleased when his friend blanched slightly as he pondered this notion. 'The day they can explain why rational, balanced women chose to feel every last ounce of everything when they have a ten-pound sack of potatoes ripped from their loins will mean the armageddon is upon is, no question.'

'It's not that bad,' Dave scoffed, earning a withering stare from Ryan.

'Says you, Lanie had drugs both times didn't she?'

'Yes, but-'

'Jenny didn't so much as have an aspirin when she had Dell, and I had to watch her go through that hell because that's what a supportive husband does.' Even the memory of it made Ryan wince, rubbed the spot above his left ear where his beautiful wife had grabbed hold and squeezed like a python. 'Is that what Andrea's thinking, Daniel?'

'Nope, she wants to get loaded.'

'Javi, are you sure Meredeth isn't her long-lost sister?' Gil asked with a laugh.

'I'm sure.'

'She'll be fine,' Dave assured his friend, then winked. 'You still getting all the fun bennies of second trimester hormones?'

Daniel swallowed his mouthful of beer hastily. 'You guys are all a bunch of sex-addicts, you know that?'

'Nah, we're just in healthy relationships and like to tease our friends,' Ryan replied with his trademark choir-boy grin. 'And since you're one of us, you get to be both teased and do the teasing yourself.'

'Mere and I are planning on a fourth baby soon,' Esposito said, 'if it works out, you'll have plenty of fodder.'

At the word 'fodder', Dave and Esposito's stomachs both rumbled loudly, so the men decided to take a break from the card game to dive into those delicious snacks Meredeth had left for them. As they nibbled the various veggies with dip while waiting for the pizza in the kitchen, Daniel decided to send Andrea a little note and discreetly slipped his cell out of his pocket.

_Hey texty mama_, he wrote, _how are you on your hubby-free night?_

A few seconds later there was a reply back - _hey texty yourself, Lanie came to visit and we are currently watching Las Picaduras: Ninos de la Guerra. Very sexy and very gory. Love you._

_Love you too_

'Hey, where is Andrea tonight?' Gil commented. 'Did our girls abducted her for sky-diving and belly dancing?'

_'_No she was looking forward to a quiet evening at home, but Lanie's there now, they're watching a movie together.'

'And knowing my wife as I do,' Dave said with no small amount of pride, 'you'll go home to your baby mama all perfumed and polished and pretty. Elenia does love her girlie indulgences.'

'I hope so, Andrea's starting to get to that cranky stage where she just wants the baby here.' Daniel twisted the top off a fresh beer. 'Did Lanie ever-'

'Oh, Jesus Christ, she was fussy all the time,' Dave laughed. 'She was pretty much all baby with Carey so it was all up front in her belly, and her mobility for taking care of herself like shaving her legs and stuff like that was shot to shit by twenty-five weeks.'

'Really?' It was hard to think of the unflappable Doctor Parrish-Robbins ever getting riled up, and said so to Mister Robbins, who just snorted.

'Are you kidding me? Pretty much after she hit seven months, I'd come home to either her tears or her libido, and sometimes I'd come home to both at the same time.'

'Ouch.'

'Robina was the same way with Kelley,' Gil added, dragging a stick of celery through a puddle of onion dip. 'She was pretty good the first few months, then around seven and a half, she became a total basket case. Poor TJ was even more lost than I was.'

'TJ?'

'My son, well, technically my stepson,' he explained, 'his biological father was Robina's first husband.'

'Ah, gotcha. Kinda like Kate and Alexis.'

'Only TJ was seven when his mother and I got together, not seventeen.'

'And you two could hardly be in the room together without sending off sparks,' Dave reminded him as they went

Esposito saw Daniel hang back, grab a fresh beer from the bowl of ice on the counter. Being a detective, he knew when someone was looking to unburden their brain, so he grabbed one for himself and tapped it against Daniel's.

'You worried about Andrea in labour, something going wrong?'

'No, it's this business with her mother. Andrea's...she's the most distrustful person I've ever met in my life, and yet she's givign her mother a chance. I guess I'm just worrying now because I pushed her to making amends but I didn't expect Agnes to go full melon-salad and move back to New York, get a divorce, basically reinvent herself completely out of left field.'

'You said back in March Andrea told her what to do with herself when they went shopping with Jenny, maybe it finally got through to her.'

'I don't want my wife hurting anymore over her relatives. They've caused her nothing but grief.'

'You love each other, right? Either way, good or bad you'll be there and take care of each other, just like Lili and Cam.'

'Lili and Cam?'

Esposito nodded, told him the story of how Cam's mother had driven Lili's stress levels to the point of almost premature labour, and how when Lili had been in labour, the woman had shown up with divorce papers for Cam to sign to end his marriage to Lili.

'Agnes wasn't that bad, just...I don't want to see Andrea upset anymore, not over them. Not now that we have you guys.'

'Aw shucks bro,' Esposito laughed, shoving him in the shoulder like they were little boys on the playground. 'I think if someone as far gone as Agnes was can turn her life around for the two of you, she's got the guts to make it stick.'

'And if something happens that it blows up in Andrea's face?'

'Hey, is this gab fest, or a card game?' Ryan wanted to know, hollering from the living room.

'You want pizza, bro?' Esposito shot back, and when he was met with silence, he grinned at Daniel. 'Don't worry about it, you'll know what to do for her.'

The front door opened then, and Daniel saw it was Meredeth returning with the children as well as Andrea. He went out immediately to greet her, a little surprised to see her.

'Hey, honey, what are you doing here?'

'Lanie and I went to get ice cream, and we ran into Meredeth and company, and Mere invited me back here since the babies have to go to bed.'

'We'll just be upstairs, no need to worry about us little ol' ladies,' Meredeth added, sending Tessi upstairs while she unbuckled Leo and Trini from the pram. She grinned, gave her husband a kiss. 'Hello handsome.'

'Hey gorgeous. I'll be right up to say night-night to the brood, alright?' Esposito gave her another peck, watched his sexy wife head upstairs and wondered what panties she had on underneath her tiny khaki shorts as her long legs carried her upstairs. He turned back to Daniel, who was giving him a look. 'That's the other fun part of being a parent. You have a hot mama in the house in more ways than one.'

* * *

><p>R&amp;R&amp;Enjoy<p> 


	61. Birthday Babies

'Come on, big daddy, we don't want to be late!'

'I thought you being all big and pregnant was supposed to make you slow down.'

Andrea chuckled as she watched Daniel negotiate his way out of the elevator with Carey Parrish-Robbins' birthday present - it was a children's chemistry set along with his own little lab coat, protective goggles and gloves for his doing experiments in the kitchen; they'd even included a refill pack as a present from the baby. After the boy's visit to the hospital for his cold, she'd decided that if he was interested in medicine she and Daniel would help him explore his interest.

'Do you want a hand, babe?' she asked as the box with legs approached, rubbing her belly in soothing circles. The little one was in a cranky mood today, as was evident from the vicious elbow jabs and roundhouse kicks Andrea was feeling.

'No, you just keep growing our baby, baby.' Daniel set the box down, knocked on the door that had been decorated with streamers around the door frame.

It was opened by Lanie, who was smiling brightly with Violet holding her hand. 'Hey guys, come on in! I'll give you a hand with that gift, Daniel.'

'I help too!' Violet stretched out her arms and put her little hands on the edge of the wrapped parcel as Lanie carried it into the

'Where's the birthday boy at?' Andrea asked, slipping off her shoes.

'Just waking up from his nap, he and Daddy were up late last night having a boys' birthday night since Dave is on days today.'

'He see a moo-vie,' Violet said with a twinge of jealousy in her voice. 'He lucky.'

'And when you're big enough you'll get to go to the cinema too,' her mother reminded her.

'I know. Mama, juicy, peas?'

'Yes, they're in the fridge, but the ones on the middle shelf, not at the bottom. Those are for the guests.'

'O-kay.'

Lanie smiled at her sugar-bug, then gestured to the couch, in front of which was the coffee table full of various child-sized treats and toys. 'Here, you want to help me finish the grab bags before all the children get here?'

'Sure.'

'Everyone gets a packet of the magic markers, the note-pad, the gumballs, and then the girls are getting the atom bracelets and the boys are getting the atomic watches.'

'Why gumballs?'

'That's my pet name for Carey,' Lanie said with a bit of wistfulness in her voice. 'Hard to think he's already four years old. Another year and he'll be in kindergarten.'

'Rosie starts in the fall, and Dell is going to be in grade two.'

'I know, I can't believe they're skipping him ahead a grade.'

'Jenny said the teacher thinks it's best because he was learning so quickly, he needs the challenge.' Andrea looked over, saw Daniel was just looking around. 'Babe, come give us a hand.'

'Actually, in the kitchen there are a bunch of ingredients for making our own pizzas that need to be chopped and diced like ham and onions and peppers and cheese for shredding.'

'On it,' Daniel replied and was into the kitchen, where Andrea heard him chatting with Violet and asking if she wanted to help him out.

'He's going to be a great father, Andrea,' Lanie told her as they assembled to grab-bags.

'You think so?'

'Yep. And I didn't know this until Dave and I had Carey, but seeing him in that role will make you fall in love with him even more.'

'Mama?'

Lanie's face split into a wide grin when she saw Carey coming down the hallway dragging his stuffed duck Emilio and knuckling away the remnants of sleep in his brown eye. 'Hey, it's my birthday boy, you have a good nap big man?'

'Uh-huh.' Carey immediately came over to the couch, situated himself between Andrea and his mother, gave the pregnant woman's belly a pet. 'Thank you for comin' to my party today, baby. I know you are busy gettin' bigger and I pee-she-ate it.'

'That's very sweet, Oscar.'

'This is Emilio.' The birthday boy held up his toy Andrea's inspection. 'This is from my Poppy when I was jus' a little baby, like your baby.'

'He's very handsome.'

'He is a Mighty Duck, 'cause that's the hockey team Poppy takes care of. He goes in an airplane a lot with them.'

Andrea giggled. 'Are you going to be a hockey player, Carey?'

'No, I gonna be a doctor, but not a dead-people doctor like Mama. I have het-oh-cho-mia and I wanna help other people with funny eyes.'

'Well, my little ophthalmologist, can you go check on your sister and Daniel for Mama?'

'Yes, Mama, I can do that. I will be back soon, baby.' Carey leaned in and gave the bump a little peck before he slithered off the couch and scampered off to find Violet and Daniel.

Without saying a word, Lanie passed Andrea a tissue and went right on stuffing the grab-bags. 'So, you and Daniel decided to wait and find out if it's a boy or girl on its birthday?'

'Uh-huh.' Grateful for the normalcy and no fussing, Andrea dabbed the corners of her eyes and grinned. 'Stefan and Sean both think it's a boy but Daniel thinks it's a girl.'

'Have you decided on a middle name yet?'

'We're getting closer, we want something a little more traditionally Irish, maybe even full Gaelic for a girl, like Saoirse or Sibeal.'

'You could call her Minnow,' Lanie laughed, writing the names of the party guests on the bags.

'What?'

'Think about it. Stefanie Saoirse Hennessey Brick? S-S-Brick? The S-S-Minnow?'

'Oh, dear.' Andrea joined in the laughing as the buzzer sounded and Lanie went to let in the first of the party-goers. 'Never thought about that one.'

When there was a knock on the door, Carey scooted out from the kitchen with Daniel right behind him; the adult checked through the safety-peep and let Carey open the door to Ryan, Dell and Mallory.

'Hello Carey, happy-birthday!' Dell grinned as he held out the brightly wrapped gift. 'This is for you to open later.'

'Me too!' Mallory held up the gift-bag clutched in her little fist. 'Happy bee-day, Carey!'

'Thank you very much! Carey smiled and looked up at Ryan. 'Andrea, Daniel and baby are visitin' with Mama, would you like to visit too?'

'Thanks for the invite, but this is a kids-only zone today,' Ryan replied, eyes twinkling. 'I'll be back later for some cake.'

Dell and Mallory gave their father a kiss good-bye, adding they loved him and were welcomed into the apartment by Carey who steered them over to drop their presents on a small gift table, then immediately over to Andrea.

'The baby is staying for the party,' he told them importantly. 'Hish-hiker gets to have some cake too.'

' 'Cause food goes in the buddon, right?' Mallory looked to her big brother for confirmation and he nodded.

'That's right, the belly-button attaches the baby to Andrea's tummy

'Where Violet?'

'In the kishen, come on.'

The group wandered off once more, leaving Lanie and Andrea to look at each other. 'They are such a cute little club,' Lanie said, 'and they are eagerly awaiting the arrival of the next member, almost as much as you two.'

'And my mother,' Andrea added, settling back against the back of the sofa as they were finished with the grab-bags. 'She's got her apartment and has already had some things shipped up before she moves here in a month.'

'She's really doing it, huh?'

'She's determined, and I'm trying not to get too hopeful about it, but it's my mother and...I've missed her.'

Lanie nodded, wishing she could say something; she hadn't spoken to her mother in years, except a couple of phone-calls here and there. She looked at Andrea, and wished she had that courage to be able to let the family hatchets be buried. 'Take it from someone who's had her own share of family issues, if she is being big enough to do these things, then it's for real.'

'I still don't have any idea what set her on this path. All I know is that I'm glad Daniel gave me the nudge after Stefan had his heart attack because now our child can have one of each grandparent.'

'There you go.'

'Mama! Carey no' sharin'!'

Violet walked into the living room, lower lip in full quaver but looking more put out than teary-eyed. 'He no' sharin'!'

'What isn't he sharing baby?'

'Toys. I wan' pay too!'

'Carey!' Lanie lifted her voice only slightly and Andrea watched the birthday boy come out of his room, looking peeved. 'Why aren't you letting Violet play?'

'We are playin' cards and Violet won't follow the rules.'

'Then be patient and show her, Carey. That's part of being a big brother. And Violet,' Lanie added looking at her daughter, 'did you ask Carey to show you how to play?'

'No, Mama.'

'Then before you come to me tattling, ask him to show you first.'

'Carey show me, peas?' Violet turned her green eyes to her big brother and Andrea could see Carey soften.

'Okay, Violet.'

'Love you.'

'I love you too, little sister.' Carey held out his hand and smiling once more, Violet slapped her little palm against his as they went back to his room to continue their card game.

'That girl is all mouth,' Lanie chuckled. 'And Carey's all brains.'

'He's a sensitive little guy, huh?'

'Oh, tender little heart like you wouldn't believe. We were in the park last week and we fed pretzels to the ducks in the pond, and he was very upset when one of the smaller ducks couldn't get in at the bread. He took a half slice and ripped it up just for the little ones. And he may act like Violet's a pain in his butt but he loves her so much.'

'That's good. Mmf, yeah I know you're in there.' Andrea rubbed her belly where she felt the sudden movement. 'I think Sean and Stefan are right, I think I've got a boy in here the way I'm getting punched.'

'Aw. You can't always tell by that, though. Carey wasn't a terribly wiggly critter when I was pregnant and Violet didn't stop doing high kicks the entire time. First good night's sleep I got was the night she was born.'

There was another knock and Lanie hollered for her son, informing him more guests were arriving. When Tessi and Rosie came through the door, Carey took the little parcels from them and then led them over to Andrea to give her belly a rub, which made Lanie laugh.

'Okay, Carey, she's a lady, not a pinata.'

* * *

><p>R&amp;R&amp;Enjoy<p> 


	62. HoneyMilk's Helping Hand: 31 Weeks

Andrea shifted as she adjusted the IV on one of her patients. She was getting very uncomfortable on her feet these days, as the bulk of her pregnant belly was making her centre of gravity feel more than a little bit off and putting extra strain on her lumbar region. Stretching, she pressed a hand to the small of her back and felt a small pop which had her groaning in satisfaction.

'Oh, yeah, that's the ticket,' she sighed, massaging her big belly, her fingertips rubbing up against the edge of her iBump band. Alexis and Shane had given it as their baby shower gift and Andrea had to admit it was coming in handy these days as she was working a two-week rotation in the ER and running a training seminar for nursing students interested in going into pediatrics as a specialty. The amount of yelling and swearing was drowned out by recordings of Andrea's voice reading one of her favourite books to the baby, so the unborn would hear only his or her mother's voice gently reading _A Cricket in Times Square_ rather than the barked orders of stressed doctors and frantic cries of distressed patients.

As her pager went off, she noted the incoming trauma and made her way through the doors of the ER and saw Dave and his partner Jayla coming towards them with a stretcher. On it was a little girl with eyes wide open in panicked shock.

'This is Oxana Parczicki, age twelve, she and her mother were crossing the street when they were hit by a motorcycle running a red light. Blood pressure was one-fourteen over sixty-two in the field, pulse-ox is eighty-six and breath sounds are cloudy on the left, clear on the right,' Jayla detailed in her Arabic-Minnie-Mouse voice. 'Mother is in another ambulance on its way in.'

'Okay. Oxana, I'm Andrea, I'm going to look after you right now.'

'It hurts,' she whimpered.

'Where does it hurt?'

'Everywhere, but especially my head and my leg.'

Andrea glanced down, saw her leg had been set in a splint, then took out her pen-light to look in the girl's eyes and scribbled on the chart that Jayla had passed her. When the door swung open, she saw Donally there with Walsh and gave them the rundown Jayla had given her. Walsh and Donally examined Oxana and concurred with Andrea's opinion that a CAT-scan wouldn't be overkill along with a low dose of morphine to curb the edge of the broken leg.

When the crisis had passed and Andrea returned to the somewhat more peaceful world of peds, she made it as far as the nursing station before she slumped into the nearest chair. God, her feet were killing her, she just wanted to go home and sleep for a day or two. More, she wanted Daniel to give her a back rub and throw in a foot massage for good measure, the Vincent to her Mia.

'Andrea?'

'What?'

The answer came out far more snarly than she intended it to be, and when she glanced up to see Honey-Milk's concerned face, she sighed deeply and massaged her temple. 'Sorry, Jenny, just feeling-'

'Like a great big, unsexy lumbering bus?'

'In a nutshell. I love the idea of having Daniel's baby but I want it to be here, dammit. I want to feel like myself again with a little person to take care of, and not some huge-ass beast whose husband feels obligated to have sex with her.'

'I remember that feeling well, especially with Mallory. I'm just on my way to do rounds, and it's pretty quiet here, why don't you go find a quiet room, work on some charting?'

'Thank you.'

'Any time.'

Honey-Milk watched her friend go, then using the hospital landline, dialed the OR where she knew Daniel was working. Some may have considered it unprofessional what she'd decided to do, but somethings - like family - were more important than professional conduct.

When the surgical nurse answered, she asked to be put on speaker phone and heard the echoing of metallic instruments along with murmured voices. 'This is Samson, what can we do for you Nurse Ryan?'

'Is Nurse-Anesthetist Brick still with you?'

'He is and we are ten minutes from finishing with this patient.'

'When he is cleared off your service would you have him come to the pediatric floor, nurses station three?'

'You catch that, Brick?'

There was a shuffling and the sound of Daniel's voice. 'Yeah, Jenny, is everything okay?'

'There's nothing wrong with the baby, Daniel so just do your thing and come and see me when you're finished.'

* * *

><p>The moment he was cleared from surgery, Daniel was up to the pediatric floor so fast, he was nearly certain he left a vapour trail on his way. He screeched to a halt when he saw Honey-Milk there, on the phone and making notes into a chart - evidently the orders were from the pharmacy regarding a patient's cocktail of drugs which had even steady-as-she-goes Honey-Milk looking like she was going to stab someone with her pen.<p>

'I understand, Doctor Booth, however this patient has shown signs of improvement and I believe that keeping her on the steroid will only cause problems at this point...no sir...I understand...very well sir...thank you.' She slammed the receiver down and stared at it before adding, 'for nothing you overeducated pompous ass-hat.'

'Jenny?'

'Oh, hey Daniel.'

'What's going on?'

'Nothing serious, so don't worry about Andrea, she's off her feet and workign on some charts. She's getting to the cranky end stage.'

'You're telling me, last night we watched an episode of _Dallas Lieutenant Eve,_ one of her favourite shows and she did nothing but bitch about how she was bigger than even Peabody when she'd been at her heaviest. And the take-out sandwiches we had were not the right ones we ordered which just had her pissed right off the deep end.'

'Can I offer you a tip?'

'Of course, fire away.'

'Take her on a date.'

Daniel blinked. 'Excuse me? Take my very pregnant and hormonal wife on a date?'

'Absolutely. Kevin did it for me, Dave took Lanie on a ski weekend for Valentine's Day, even Javi took Meredeth out for a nice romantic evening a few times when she was getting towards the end of it with the twins. It'll make her feel so much better, trust me.'

'I never thought of that. Why didn't I think of that?' he asked her, suddenly wondering if it made him a shitty husband or just a busy one.

'Because you're both working, you've got Agnes moving back to New York in a week's time and you're getting ready for the baby coming in less than two months. I know she's got a really cute maternity cocktail dress, I made sure she bought one when I took her shopping in March.'

'Okay. Thanks, Jenny, I think that just might be a lifesaver.'

'She's in room six-six-zero-three when you're ready to tell her about your plan.'

* * *

><p>He did indeed find her just where Honey-Milk said she would be, and for a moment Daniel just stood in the doorway and watched her. Andrea had taken off her gel-soled sneakers and was sitting with her legs folded so her belly rested on her thighs. Her hair was in a messy bun at the back of her head and she was chewing on the end of her pen while she made notes on her charts.<p>

'Hey texty.'

Andrea glanced up and smiled at him wanly. 'Hey texty yourself. What are you doing up here?'

'Finished up in surgery, thought I'd come and surprise you with something.'

'A foot rub?'

Her question was asked with such innocent hope Daniel couldn't resist her. He sat down on the foot of the empty bed and groaned comically when her feet landed in his lap. 'Watch your aim, babe, unless you want this to be our last naturally conceived child.'

'Funny man. Oh...oh, god...oh my stars...' Andrea whimpered in such pleasure at the feel of his hands on her aching feet she was surprised she didn't have an instantaneous orgasm. 'Oh, god Daniel that's just perfect.'

'Wow, then you are really going to love what I am saying next.'

'Oh?'

'Honey-Milk mentioned it to me that us going on a fancy-date might be a good idea to break the cabin fever.'

'Like what?'

'Like dancing out at The Harbour, or a carriage ride in Central Park, maybe a night-time cruise around Liberty Island.'

'Oh, that sounds so pretty,' Andrea sighed, love for her husband bright in her heart. 'Those are all good ideas. They...they all come with dinner right?'

'Of course, my sweet,' Daniel chuckled. 'I'm not about to make you or the baby go hungry.'

'It's a date.'

'Which one?'

'Any of them. Surprise me.'

'You got it.' Daniel switched to her other foot, then looked over at the door. 'You think that door has a lock on it?'

Andrea shrugged. 'No idea, why?'

'Well, I'm just thinking if I'm going to make you moan like that, it should be worthwhile, right?'

'Dirty boy.'

'Maybe we can get a hotel room for the night,' he suggested as inspiration struck. 'We can have a soak in a big bubble-tub, drink champagne or for you sparkling cider, nibble on strawberries and chocolate before we nibble on each other.'

'Order room service and see if we can fit in a quickie between putting in the order and signing for it at the door,' Andrea added, making her husband laugh.

'That's my girl, horny and hungry.'

'And fat.'

'Pregnant,' he corrected her, and moved closer to kiss her, run his hands over her wiggly-jiggly abdomen. 'What do you think, tiny, that a good idea?'

'He or she can't hear you. Hold on.' Andrea pressed the pause button on her blue-tooth watch to stop the audio playback on her iBump. 'There, ask again.'

Daniel murmured once more to his unborn child and grinned when he felt the distinct outline of a foot against his hand. 'I think he or she agrees. He or she also says that you should be off your feet more, especially since you're going to be helping Agnes move next week.

'Which begs the question when are we going to have our date night?'

'Leave it to me, Andrea. No.' He cut her off with a shake of his head. 'I'm fairly certain that watching you have our baby will be both the most powerful and emasculating experience I ever have in my life, so let me be a caveman and be in charge of this.'

'Okay.' Andrea bit her lip, gave him a look. 'I like you being all sexy and in charge.'

'You do, do you?'

'Mm-hmm. Maybe tonight, you can be very bossy.'

'Tonight, hell, we're off work at four.'

* * *

><p>R&amp;R&amp;Enjoy<p> 


	63. Date Night

'Ooh, look at you sexy mama.'

Meredeth whistled as Andrea came down the stairs of the townhouse; she'd offered to let her friend come over so Meredeth could make her feel pampered and fussed over to get ready for her big date with her husband, so she could surprise Daniel with just how hot a hot-mama she looked like. When Tessi and the twins had been having their dinner and were getting ready for bed, Andrea had indulged herself in a bubble-bath in the old-fashioned claw-foot tub, after which Meredeth had done her friend's mani-pedi for her. While Andrea's hands and feet dried, Meredeth had styled her hair for her, straightening it so it was a soft, smooth waterfall of russet to the middle of her shoulder blades.

Andrea had finished dressing in private and was now on her way down the stairs in a royal blue sundress of a cotton-silk blend that felt like heaven against her hyper-sensitive skin; with her wrap draped over her shoulders, she did a little turn for her friend.

'You better hope you're going to the hotel first because if I was Daniel, I'd want to get you out of that dress as soon as possible,' Meredeth told her friend with a wide grin. 'So where are you guys going tonight?'

'Not a clue, he's surprising me. All I know is that when I said I was coming here to get ready he said perfect, it's on the way.'

There was a knock on the door, and as Arturo was upstairs with his little mistress, there was no thunderous woofing as Meredeth answered it to find Daniel on the other side, looking freshly shaven and smelling of good French cologne.

'Hey Mere, is Andrea...wow.' Daniel huffed the word out when he saw Andrea on the landing of the stairs. 'Andrea, you look just gorgeous.'

'Thank you, you look pretty hot yourself.' Andrea didn't bother to add that it was getting her all stirred up seeing how his suit tapered at his shoulders to show off the impressive breadth of them, or the fact that the smoked-olive shade only deepened the colour of his eyes. She was fairly certain it was all over her face as Meredeth bit her lip to hid the goofy, excited grin.

'Well, have a good time you too, don't be breaking curfew now,' she teased them.

'Not a problem, Ma,' Daniel joked back, and offered his arm to Andrea. 'Shall we, my lady?'

'Let's do it, good sir.'

They headed outside and Andrea's eyes went wide at the sight of the car by Meredeth's red Nissan. It wasn't just any car - it was the turquoise Sting-Ray that was always parked at Castle's Hamptons' household, Dave Robbins' baby. Andrea had often heard Lanie joke that she hadn't had to compete with a dead wife for Dave's love, the contest was with the sexy beast with the V-8 engine and chrome trim.

'Dave said we could borrow his precious gem for the night since we stayed with Carey when he came in for his cold while Dave was on call,' Daniel explained, opening the door for his wife. 'Even if he hadn't offered, I'd have asked. I want this to be a night just about you and me.'

Andrea carefully plunked herself into the seat, and felt a little thrill as Daniel slipped in, turned over the engine and let it rev a little. 'So where are we going?'

'You'll see.'

* * *

><p>The breeze created by the car's open windows as they took the West-Side Highway towards the the Upper West Side of Manhattan was a most welcome one for Andrea, as she only had to think hard these days and she could work up a sweat. Hair blowing around her shoulders, she admired the glow cast by the sun dipping behind the skyscrapers and sighed contentedly.<p>

'You look so beautiful tonight, babe,' Daniel told her, taking her hand and briefly kissing her knuckles before he downshifted for his exit towards West Seventy-Ninth Street. 'And you smell very hot.'

'Hot like sweat?'

'Hot like you should be in a preggo-fetish magazine,' he replied, making her have a good full-body belly laugh.

'God I love you, Daniel.'

'I love you too Andrea. And I'm still not telling you what we're doing.'

'Dammit. Sorry, sorry.' Andrea rubbed the bulge of her pregnant belly where the baby kicked her. 'The baby really doens't like it when I swear.'

'Good plan. I don't want our child coming out sounding like he or she was born in a Quentin Tarantino flick. Besides, we're here.'

He pulled into the water-side parking lot, sure to set the alarm system; the last thing he wanted was for Dave's car to be stolen, as Dave would react like it was Carey or Violet who'd been abducted. Rounding the hood Daniel opened the door for his wife, helped her to her feet and for a moment just admired the pure beauty of her face - the high-cheek bones, the button nose, the smoky grey eyes. He brushed back a loose lock of red hair from her face and grinning, kissed her lips lightly.

'You are going to love this.'

He walked her towards a simply limestone building, where they stepped inside and saw the hostess in a very nautical uniform of pressed khaki crop-pants and a navy-blue polo shirt. Her smile was warm and welcoming when she greeted them.

'Good evening, welcome to The Boat Basin Cafe, how can I be of assistance?'

'I have a reservation for Brick, the Urban Desire at six-thirty?'

'Of course, follow me please.'

The woman turned and Andrea looked at Daniel who just nudged her towards the glass doors their guide led them through. Her eyes went wide with delight when she saw the forty-six foot yacht at anchor they were being led towards. 'Is that...is that for _us_?'

'And only us. You said dinner, dancing or a boat trip would all be good ideas for a big-date so I went for the hat-trick.'

'Oh, Daniel. This is too much!'

'Come on.'

Daniel led her down the gang-plank to where two stewards along with the captain were waiting for them. The captain greeted them with a friendly, sturdy handshake and a rich South African accent.

'Welcome aboard the Urban Desire, Mister and Missus Brick. I'm Captain Jonas, I'll be taking us down to Liberty Island tonight. This is Chef Nayyar and Steward Irving, they will be providing you with your meal and entertainment this evening.'

'Dinner will be served at seven fifteen, cocktails in fifteen minutes. May I take your wrap, madam?'

'Oh, thank you.' Andrea handed over her shawl to Irving, gave an excited little wiggle.

'Sir your jacket?'

'Thanks.'

Daniel passed his sports-coat over and led Andrea into the lounge level of the yacht; it smelled beautifully of rich leather and cedarwood. The bar gleamed, the cushioned sofas looked like puffy marshmellows, and the scent of the light breeze coming in from the river. Some would have been disgusted by the salt scent but Andrea loved it; the water was always the place she found her zen.

'You did all of this for us?'

'I did. I told you I was taking you out in style, and I'm a man of my word.'

'Excuse me, madam. Soft champagne for yourself, and for the gentleman Strongbow.' Irving approached them with two flutes on a silver tray, one filled with pale gold liquid, the other shades deeper. 'We will be serving dinner shortly.'

'The actually dinner part isn't that fancy,' Daniel told Andrea as they walked out on the back of the boat, saw they were pulling away from the pier. The ride was so smooth, it was almost imperceptible underfoot that they were making their way south towards Liberty Island.

'Oh?'

'Yeah, I know you've been wanting a nice big juicy cheeseburger and fries for a long time, but you've been sticking to eating healthy for the last couple of weeks.'

'I- Mere said that eating properly is the key to taking off the baby pounds once Stefan Argus or Stefanie Sinead is here.'

'Argus?' Daniel tried not to laugh. 'Like the janitor from _Harry Potter_?'

'As in Argus Silver, lead singer of Silver Bullet? The baby loves their music, he or she gets very happy and dancing when they are on the iPod. Just like he or she listens to Sinead O'Connor and mellows right now and takes a nap.'

'You know what the baby's doing like that?'

'It's like having a roommate with you twenty-four seven only moving day is far more painful than getting a pizza as a reward for hauling their oversized couch down six flights of stairs,' Andrea laughed, looking out on the water. 'God, it is such a beautiful day. How was your day? I hardly saw you at all.'

'Long, with you as my carrot at the end. I was on only one surgery the entire day, Doctor Samson was literally doing a spinal transplant.'

'A spinal transplant?'

'Yep, this osteoporosis patient had compression fractures in three of his vertebrae, and they were able to find an organ donor who also said his bones could be harvested along with his corneas, skin and bone marrow. They took the donor's spine, sectioned it out and put it in this other guy's back. I think Samson might get some kind of award for it.'

'That's amazing. Kinda makes looking after tonsillectomy and pneumonia patients pale in comparison huh?'

'Hey, I know there's a lot of doctors who say they'd love to work in peds but it's too heartbreaking when they have to tell a parent there's nothing more medicine can do for a dying child.' Daniel gave her a little nudge in the shoulder. 'I know I'll probably be a total wimp when you give birth to Argus or Sinead in there.'

Andrea looked him up and down. 'You really like those names?'

'I do. I think they are quite awesome, and more importantly, the baby helped pick its own name. That's pretty damn cool.'

'I know, I know, the baby says Daddy, stop that bad language around me and Mama, I don't like it!' she replied in a squeaky high-pitched voice. 'And neither does Mama.'

'Okay, I give.' Daniel let out a satisfied sigh, wrapped his arms around Andrea and kissed the top of her head. He held her close, passed a hand over the round mound of her body. 'Take a good look, tiny. This beautiful city is going to be your home, and this beautiful lady is your mother. She's the best woman in the world and there's no one else your daddy loves more.'

'Aw, stop it, you're gonna make the baby diabetic! You hear that, sweetheart? That's you're daddy talking to you, being all sweet and mushy and romantic. He's so handsome, just like a prince and a very strong man. You'll learn best from him there is all kinds of strong.'

From behind them, they heard a discreetly cleared throat and turning saw Irving there. 'Your meal is ready to be served. If you could follow me please.'

* * *

><p>R&amp;R&amp;Enjoy<p> 


	64. Date Night Continued

By the time they got to the hotel, Andrea felt certain she knew exactly how Disney princesses could be so starry eyed over their princes. Daniel had indeed given her a night on the town - after dinner, they'd danced on the upper and lower decks of the yacht to their song amongst others, and as they'd rounded Liberty Island when Billy Joel's classic ode to their beloved city drifted on the speakers. Then it had been followed up with the sweetly seductive song by the same guy who'd played Poke in Meredeth's beloved _Generation Kill_.

'I didn't know he could sing,' she'd murmured as they entered their room; Daniel had been humming it ever since leaving the yacht.

'He's pretty good, and the music video's pretty awesome too.'

'I know, right? I wonder how jealous Esposito got over her being pissed off at the guy over Twitter?'

'He said they had some pretty passionate nights over it, even used the song as some mood music.'

Andrea flicked her eyes up at him. 'You feeling like it might work for us?'

'Only one way to find out.'

The door secured behind them, Daniel pulled his mama-to-be towards the large, king-sized bed and grinned. 'I have been dying to get you out of this dress all night,' he murmured, making Andrea giggle a little; Meredeth and her husband, it seemed, had similar mindsets.

'The zipper is on the side, right here.' She patted the left side of her torso. 'Easier for big ol' preggos like me to self-dress that way.'

Daniel, who'd sat down on the end of the bed to ditch his jacket socks and shoes, crooked his finger at her and tugged down her zipper. 'Also much more fun because then I get to do this.'

Taking the hem of her dress in his hands, he drew it upwards as he stood up, effectively stripping her as he went so that by the time he was on his feet, he was admiring the beauty of his wife. His eyes went wide and greedy when he saw the delicate grey dress-slip she wore underneath; her breasts were as large as he'd ever seen them and he sent up a thank you to whatever deity had decided to bless his woman with such dangerous curves.

'You look so delicious, Andrea, I just wanna taste you all over,' he said, dipping his head to kiss her.

When he drew away, she puckered her lips up ever so slightly. 'That sounds like a great idea.'

Daniel lowered his mouth hers again, this time staying there as his hands trailed up to her shoulders and shoved the needle-thin straps of her slip down her elbows. He looked down between them at her bump which was moving and shaking like maracas and briefly wondered if this was going to fly at all. When the silk landed in a puddle on the floor at their feet, he took her hand and briefly turned her in a half-circle so that he could pressed his body against her in an intimate embrace.

'Just give me one minute, my love,' he murmured into her ear, and Andrea closed her eyes, feeling a little chill as he took a step back. She heard the zip of his pants, heard the fabric hitting the floor, then let out a happy little groan when she felt him come back to her, his arousal pressing against her.

'Feels good, baby,' she murmured, moving against him. 'Love that feeling.'

Daniel didn't reply, just planted a trail of kisses over her shoulder, up the smooth column of her neck. She tasted so soft, it was a wonder she didn't just melt in his arms. He moved so they were on the bed, her on her side beside him, and he gently nudged her so she was on her back. He'd been so fascinated by the look and feel of her, that he hadn't noticed the expression in her eyes and he paused his strokes on her abdomen when he saw the little dribbles of tears coming down from her eyes.

'Andrea, what is it? Are you in pain?'

'No just...I'm so sorry, my love, but I just don't feel it tonight. I'm so sorry, I just...I don't.' Andrea pressed a hand to her eyes as her shoulders shook from trying not to sob. 'You are just so wonderful, everything tonight was more than I could ever ask for or dream of and now, when it's time for us to get romantic, I just can't get it up tonight.'

'Oh, sweetheart, it's okay.' It really was, Daniel thought; the last thing he wanted to do was make his already sensitive wife feel anything but pure pleasure. That she wasn't into it one night out of the last how many nights where he'd barely been able to get up for work the next morning she'd worn him out so didn't bother him at all. 'Hey, Andrea, it's okay.'

'I feel so gross,' she continued, not bothering to hide the sobs anymore. 'I...you are just amazing, so patient and attentive and I've been nothing but a basketcase who wants to nail you and then bite your head off half the time.'

'You haven't bitten anything off,' he replied softly. 'And you're running more towards horny than bitchy anyways. I'm not going to complain about that.'

'I want the baby here. I'm sick of carting it around in my gut, I want him or her in my arms.'

'Me too, Andrea.'

'And I want to make love with you tonight, so badly, but I'm just not feeling in the mood.'

Daniel kissed her brow, stroked his palm over her arm. 'How about a bath?'

'Together? With bubbles?'

'Of course.'

'Okay. That might do it.'

Andrea lay on her back as she kissed him once more, then stared at the ceiling as she heard him head into the bath, run the water in the jacuzzi tub. She wanted, _needed_, to show her husband tonight how much she loved him, how thankful she was for him. He'd been nothing but a superhero to her and she couldn't even find it in herself to open herself for him and let him screw their brains out.

Well, she'd fix that.

When the tub shut off, she hauled her bulky self up off the bed to head into the bath. Her waterworks nearly started again when she saw the ice bucket with two bottles of Coke on the side of the marble tub, along with a little plate of strawberries - one of her favourite pregnancy snacks - and Daniel in the tub already, the scented foam strategically covering his manly bits. He stood up, offered his hand to help her in; the moment she slipped into the water, Andrea felt her sense heighten and her heartrate quicken a little bit.

Reaching behind her, she brushed over her husband's arousal, heard his little moan of frustrated pleasure. Her touch drifted away and she took his hand in hers to place butterfly kisses over the tips of his fingers before cupping them around her breasts. She groaned in great appreciation when he squeezed her gently, then gasped as his thumbs scraped over the heated peaks.

'I know you like to watch me, Daniel,' she murmured, shifting against him as the pleasure grew, 'but trust me, baby this makes me feel so much less self-conscious. I can just enjoy it.'

'I can tell.' Even underwater Daniel could feel the heat pumping out from her, and he would give her whatever she needed so that he could hear that low and elongated declaration of his name from her lips as he pleasured her. dipped his hand I can feel it.'

He dipped his hand beneath the water, bending her knee up, stroking his hand up the inside of her thigh until he found her and she sighed his name. He fondled her with long, deliberate strokes so that she was telling him how good it felt, to never stop, until he heard his name tumble from her lips in one hot burst of breath. Buoyed by the water, Daniel moved and shifted her so she sank down on top of him; he gripped her hips as Andrea leaned forward to brace her hands on the edge of the jacuzzi while he set the pace, each thrust making her cry out for more until they were both free-falling into orgasmic release.

Spent, she slumped back against her husband and Andrea sighed in perfect contentment.

'So apparently, all I needed was to get a little wet,' she murmured, making Daniel groan.

'Bad pun, my love.'

'But fitting, dontcha think?'

'Very.' Daniel raked his hand through her dripping wet hair, kissed her cheek. 'You hungry?'

'Mm-hmm. Maybe we could get all wrapped up in our bathrobes and have our strawberries and Coke in bed.'

'Whatever you'd prefer my love.'

Andrea eyed him. 'You've been doing that a lot lately.'

'Just practicing.'

'For what?'

'The day of the birthday, you are going to need a husband who doesn't get cranky or put-out feeling when you're in labour and requesting ice chip refills or more drugs from the doctor.'

'Oh, baby.' Andrea smiled gently at him as she sat on the edge of the tub and swung her feet outwards onto the bathmat. 'Daniel, you don't have to do that.'

'Andrea, how many deliveries have we done?'

'Four hundred and three.'

'And in those four hundred and three birthdays we've been witness to, how many of those deliveries were about the man and woman been equally balanced?' When she said nothing, Daniel grinned at her. 'Exactly. The woman does the heavy lifting the day of, so I decided to take a page out of the Ry-Sposito monster's book and learn to be a great partner by being your majordomo.'

'Aren't you so sweet.'

'Come on, there, Keiko, let's go have a snack.'

* * *

><p>Later when they were in their summer pyjamas and after they'd made love once more, this time in the bed, Daniel was still awake and watching the movements of the baby as Andrea slept. She was so peaceful and motherly looking already, he thought, eyes drifting down to the prodigious-looking belly. The baby was wide awake and how she was able to rest when the baby was doing the big kahuna-hula inside of her was yet another amazement in Daniel's mind as he thought about the partial confession he'd given her after their wet-and-wild round in the jacuzzi.<p>

He was scared for her. Not the idea that they would be incompetent as parents, he knew everyone learned on the job with that one. It was the birth itself that had him freaked. He knew it was a little absurd as he had been in the room with Andrea for over four hundred deliveries when they'd been assisting Harvey. But that was a lot different when you were the one just doing your job; this time, it was his wife, his Andrea, who would be grunting and shouting and crying as she brought their child into the world.

As if she could sense his worrying, Andrea shifted in her sleep and mumbled, 'I'm fine, baby, go to sleep.'

Daniel smiled, kissed her shoulder and settled down in the bed beside her.

* * *

><p>R&amp;R&amp;Enjoy<p> 


	65. Family Affair: 32 Weeks

'Thank you for helping us with this, Kate, I know you are busy.'

'It's okay, I've had a fairly light week at work, and I wasn't about to let you go through this just you and Daniel.'

Andrea smiled as she opened the box marked 'Kitchen Supplies', not at all surprised to find everything was brand-new. Her mother had gone on an online shopping spree and shipped everything to the new apartment. The furniture had already been delivered the day before and now Agnes was there along with her, Daniel, and the Castle clan to get everything organized.

'Mom? Where are you wanting to put these kitchen utensils?'

'Which ones, darling?' Agnes, in her 'casual' clothes of a peach linen top and DKNY Bermuda shorts, came into the kitchen and looked at the box Andrea had in front of her. 'Oh those all go in the second drawer from the left, right beside the sink.'

'Okay. In a minute,' Andrea realized, as the baby elbowed her in the bladder. 'Gotta pee first.'

When her friend was safely out of earshot, Beckett continued to unpack breakable knick-knacks that were going on top of the credenza with the TV in the middle slot. 'So, Agnes, Andrea never mentioned it why you decided to do all of this. Moving back to New York is a major life turnaround,' she commented, hoping she might get Agnes to open up.

'Well after we had that terrible fight, I just couldn't let it go, and I realized I had missed so much of her life. If I kept on going the way I was, not only would I lose my daughter but my grandchild as well and I couldn't let that happen.' Agnes drank from a bottle of water. 'I know I can't go into the past and fix those mistakes. All I can offer is apologies and move forward from here.'

'That's very true.' Beckett thought of her father, how he'd made amends with her when he'd sobered up after her mother's murder. He'd said something very similar to her when he'd reached the apologizing stage of his twelve-step program. She smiled as she unwrapped the next knick-knack and saw it was a picture of a young Andrea, twelve at most, in a wet-suit and flippers and proudly holding up a neon-pink conch shell.

'That was the last family vacation before Stefan and I separated.'

Beckett glanced up to see that Agnes had come over to stand beside her, looking fondly at the photograph. 'Really?'

'Yes. That was the trip that got Andrea hooked on diving. Stefan invited all the girls to go but Cora and Gerry weren't having it, and Andrea being daddy's little princess said she'd like to try. They went on a shell-hunt and Andrea found that one.'

'That's where she got it from,' Beckett murmured; she'd seen that shell on top of Andrea's armoire where her TV and other entertainment systems were kept. 'She talks about all the good times they had together.'

'I know I'll never replace Stefan in her heart, but coming in a close second after Daniel and her baby, well...silver's good enough for me, as Missus Lovett said in _Sweeney Todd_. Oh, darling, come, sit down.'

Agnes hurried over to her daughter, patted the comfortable chair. It was the first item picked out for the apartment, as she'd known her daughter would be there often and need a spot for herself to sit with her newborn. 'Did you check on the boys?'

'Yeah, they're working away on the bed and the bureau.' Andrea shifted, made a face. 'I think I want some fresh air soon.'

'Well you and Kate can go in a few minutes and get our lunch order from down the street. Look, see?' Agnes pointed to her refrigerator. Pinned to the door with a magnet in the shape of a sailboat was a take-away menu for Al Forno's, one of the Italian restaurants down the street. 'I told them we needed paninis and salad, and I ordered a little cheese pizza for RJ, I didn't know what he'd like.'

'He's not a picky eater, he likes just about everything except pineapple, he claims they are too pointy.'

'Andrea refused to eat burgers unless she knew there was no onions in them when she was a little girl.'

'What?'

'Oh, honey, don't you remember we went to that barbecue at your father's partner's house and you stopped eating your burger halfway through because you thought you heard an onion?'

Andrea blinked, looked bewildered. 'I can't believe you remembered that.'

'Mumum!'

Beckett glanced up, saw RJ racing out of the bedroom in his little work-jeans and t-shirt. He gave his mother a crushing hug around the legs, looked up at her. 'Daddy say it wobby-pop time!'

'Wobby-pop?' Agnes repeated.

'He means beer. And you, my little man, get a root-brewski.' Beckett went to the cooler, passed her son a child-sized bottle of root-beer; they didn't usually keep soft drinks in the house so RJ knew this was indeed a special day that he got to have such a treat. 'Tell Daddy and Daniel they have to come out here for their drinks.'

'Yes, Mama.' RJ sipped his drink, then turned to Agnes. 'You An-dee-ah's mumum?'

'Yes I am.'

'She gonna be mumum too.' He gave the belly a little pat. 'Carey love the baby too.'

'Who is Carey?'

'My buddy. He hassa sisser name Vi-o-let.'

'RJ, go get Daniel and your daddy,' Beckett told him gently, and the toddler set off towards the bedroom with his little drink in hand. 'He's convinced that Carey is in love with your baby, Andrea, but I think it's just you.'

'Carey and Violet are friends of RJ's?' Agnes asked. She wanted to start making a mental note of the people involved in her daughter's life and those, like little RJ who would be involved in her grandchild's early years as well. 'Do you know their parents well?'

Beckett almost laughed, then remembered Agnes was learning from square one. 'Yeah, Carey and Violet's mother is Lanie Parrish-Robbins, she's a medical examiner. Her husband Dave's a paramedic at Saint-Vincent's.'

'That's our hospital, Mom,' Andrea added, and Agnes nodded.

'Right, and how old are Carey and Violet?'

'Carey just turned four in June and Violet will be two on August sixth.'

'Your baby and Violet might have the same birthday,' Agnes said, looking at Andrea who nodded.

'It's going to be close.'

The sound of the door opening had the women looking over and Agnes saw the soft, loving look on her daughter's face as Daniel came into the kitchen to give her a kiss that had her wrinkling her nose.

'You're all sweaty and gross.'

'I'll take the high road and overlook that when you're squeezing out our little dumpling.'

'Oh, it's not like squeezing, it's more like trying to pass a bowling ball out your ass,' Beckett said, loving the pokered-up look on Daniel's face.

'Mama! No bad words!' RJ, who was dragging his father out by the wrist, gave his mother a stern look.

'That's right, my little prince. How's everything going in the bedroom?'

'Oh, can't complain,' Castle replied with a wink that made Beckett unsure whether she was to slap him or jump him. 'The bedframe is done and the mattress is on, it just needs linens, and we've finished the bureau.'

'An-dee-ah, is baby hun-ga-ry?' RJ asked politely as felt his own tummy rumble. 'Time for a 'nack?'

'I think that's a great idea. Andrea, you and Daniel can head over to Al Forno's now,' Agnes replied.

Thankful she was getting out of the apartment for some fresh air and to stretch her legs, Andrea left with her husband; the minute they were out the door, Agnes turned to Castle and Beckett. 'How is the other little project coming along?'

'It's completely done, it was ready to go when the movers were here yesterday.'

'And the painting?'

'Was done two weeks ago as per your request. I think they'll love it.'

* * *

><p>'Daniel, really, I'm fine.'<p>

'Are you sure? Getting a head rush like that can't be a good sign.'

'It just means I stood up too fast.'

'Well, when we get back to Agnes' I'm getting her to make up the bed so you can have a nap after lunch.'

Andrea started to protest as she and Daniel walked back down the street towards Agnes' apartment building but the idea of her feet up, her back cushioned on soft, cool sheets was far too appealing once the seed was planted in her brain. 'Okay. But food first. Baby's hungry, and I don't just mean me.'

'Duly noted.'

The walk back upstairs to Agnes' apartment was short and Andrea was thankful for it, as it gave her a little extra time to compose her thoughts. Her mother was worming her way back into Andrea's heart and it was unnerving to think that someone she'd all but written off long ago was making such a drastic change for her. Already Andrea was envisioning taking the baby trick-or-treating to his or her grandmother's house.

'Hey, I thought of something. What title will your mother want?' Daniel asked. 'I can't see her as Grandma or Grams or even Nana.'

'We'll have to ask her. Hey!' Andrea called out as she entered the apartment belly first. 'We have lunch!'

Agnes, Castle, Beckett and RJ appeared in the living room, looking like cats with s mouths full of feathers. 'Good. We just finished. We have a little surprise for you.'

'No, this is all Agnes,' Castle corrected, 'we just helped with the furniture. Come on.'

Agnes led them down the short hallway to the room across the hall from her own bedroom and opened the door with a flourish. 'Ta-da!' she crowed triumphantly, and felt a surge of pride as Andrea and Daniel looked around.

It was a nursery. Not just a little room with a spare crib and table, but a full, honest-to-goodness nursery, complete with a dresser for the baby's clothes, towels and other sundry supplies, a crib with a mobile over the top and on the wall a series of framed photographs all depecting different beaches around the world. The walls were the colour of Bermuda sand and on one was painted a mural of palm trees overlooking the ocean at sunset.

'You mentioned in your last email the baby's room at your house was an under water reef theme, so I went for something similar,' Agnes said, twisting her hands together nervously. 'I hope you like it.'

'Like it? It's gorgeous, but...why?'

'I told you, Andrea. I am not coming back to New York to be a drunk social climber and professional fundraiser for who knows how many committees. I came back here to be with you and Daniel and the baby, and I want the baby to be comfortable when it's here.'

'Oh.' Andrea crossed to her, and for the first time in she couldn't remember how long, wept against her mother's shoulder.


	66. Check Up: 34 Weeks

'Okay kids, last chance, you sure?'

'Yes.'

'Are you sure, Andrea?'

'Daniel, I'm sure.' Andrea craned her neck, gave her husband and her doctor a stern look. 'Do _you _want to know?'

'Not until our little prince or princess is on its way out of your body.' Daniel kissed her forehead.

'There you go, Harvey.'

'Okay, then.' He pressed a few buttons on the sonogram machine, moved the wand over Andrea's belly, turned it carefully. 'Well, I can tell you this baby will weigh in around eight pounds, maybe a little less. Have you been massaging Andrea's muscles so that they will be good and elastic when the baby is on its way down the birth canal?'

'Oh, yeah of course. Honey-Milk told us that when we were doing our birthing class.'

Harvey nodded; Honey-Milk was one of his favourite nurses to run the birth-classes as the women who attended her sessions were the ones who often experienced the least amount of complications in their deliveries and Andrea was just as astute a patient as she was a nurse.

'What about pain management? On a scale of No-Drugs-Dell to Light-Me-Up Tessi, what are you feeling?'

'Closer to the Tessi end of the spectrum but I don't want to be completely doped up,' Andrea giggled. 'I know it will be, well...laborious regardless of what I chose but I think given my medical history throughout this pregnancy, just shy of seeing colourful universes in a spoon is the best way to go.'

'We can do that. Now, since you two are normally my birthing team in the delivery room, I'm going to have to bring in other people.'

'Can we have Honey-Milk, and possibly Cameron George?' she asked, making Daniel chuckle.

'Sweetheart, it's not nurses a la carte.'

'Daniel, are you preparing to shoot an eight pound human being out your fun-zone?' Andrea asked, a little testily.

'No. Right, got it.'

'Jenny will be there, of course, and Cameron George can be requested on my service for a week from George Washington.' Harvey had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing. They were such an adorably married pair of expectant parents. Had they not chosen each other already, he would have tried his best to set them up on a date himself. 'What is his specialty?'

'Trauma. He was a corpsman in the USMC, he did three tours in Iraq. He's someone we trust,' Andrea continued.

'Very well, I'll put in the paperwork to requisition his service for two weeks.'

'Am I looking like I'll be on time?'

'Yes, I think you are going to be close to the fifteenth, maybe a little earlier. The baby is already beginning to work its way into place.' Harvey made notes on Andrea's chart, studied the information there. 'Today is the fifteenth, so I wouldn't make any plans beyond the twenty-ninth.'

'The twenty-ninth? That seems pretty early.'

'Right now you're thirty-four weeks, Andrea, and anything beyond thirty-six is considered out of the premie danger zone, so there's no fear of giving birth to an underdeveloped baby.'

'Okay.'

Daniel heard the nerves in her voice, and picked up her hand to kiss the back of it. 'Harvey's never steered a patient wrong before, my love, why would we be any different?'

Harvey's pager beeped and he nodded briskly. 'And now it's time to tidy up, as my ten-thirty induction is here. Andrea, I will see you in two weeks for one more check-up.'

'You don't want me in the room for the birth?' she asked as she sat up, adjusting her hospital gown.

'I will page you when you are needed. Daniel, I believe you are already tied up at eleven with Samson?'

'No, with Grayson. He's doing an organ harvest,' he replied solemnly, and Andrea felt her heart break for her husband. He occasionally had to do them - mostly the anesthesiologists were required for end of life surgery - and whenever he did, Andrea knew he would come home and all but crawl into the shower and stay there until he was done weeping. She covered their joined hands with her free one, and gave him a supportive look.

'It's okay, baby,' she murmured, and Daniel just shook his head.

'Not yet, my love.'

'When?'

'You'll know.'

* * *

><p>Sure enough, by the end of the day Daniel was thoroughly exhausted from watching the doctors cut into Joel Simpson, a twenty-something motorcycle punk with a shockingly clean bill of health save for the DOA head-injury he'd had. He wanted to cry, just lay his head against Andrea's breast and listen to her heartbeat as he wept in frustration at the futility of it.<p>

When he walked in the door, the first thing he noticed was the scent of pasta sauce, undercut with the sharp, icy edge of freshly poured beer. In the kitchen he saw Andrea standing at the counter and beside her Agnes, who was stirring a pot of something.

'Are you sure this is going to be long enough? It seems longer when I wait for it at a restaurant.'

'Just trust me, Mom.'

'Hey.'

Andrea and Agnes both glanced over to look at Daniel, Andrea leaving her station to go over and give him a kiss. 'Mom wanted to come over for cooking lessons, and since I wanted to make you dinner, birds and stones and all that.'

'Looks good.' Daniel wasn't in the mood to entertain, least of all his mother-in-law, and he prayed Andrea would let him have a little time to himself. 'I'm going to get a shower.'

'Okay.' She pulled him in for a hug, murmured in his ear, 'She won't be here long, I promise.'

'It's fine.'

Andrea watched him go into the bedroom, and sighing, she went back to the counter where she continued slicing bread for in the oven. 'So, when we're doing the bread, we want to put it top-side down on the baking sheet so we can get the crust from the garlic butter we spread on it, then flip it over to broil the cheese on the top in the oven.

'Andrea, is he okay?' Agnes asked with concern.

'No, not right now. He needs time to decompress. His main surgery today was an organ donor harvest,' she explained gently.

'Oh, my...when I think of you two being nurses, I never think about that side of it.'

'Daniel sees that more than I do because he's a nurse anesthetist.'

'Do you mind...maybe, do you think I might talk to him, let him know that I'm not here to be wait upon?'

'Hold on.'

Andrea went to the bedroom, slipped in quietly to see Daniel in the middle of the bed, staring at the ceiling as he listened to something on his iPod. She brushed her hand over his leg to get his attention, relieved when he sat up that he hadn't been weeping. At least, not yet. 'Mom was wanting to know if you'd be cool with her checking on you.'

'Checking on me?'

'I told her you had an organ harvest to do at work today, and she's concerned about you.'

The idea of a mother, especially one getting back into the mothering game like Agnes, wanted to show him love and support had Daniel's stomach doing flippy-flops but he nodded. 'I love you.'

'I love you too.'

She kissed his lips gently, and was gone; Daniel didn't have time to flop back down on the bed for Agnes stepped inside. Immediately she sat down on the end of the bed and gave his leg an affectionate pat.

'Heard you had a rough one, handsome.'

'I hate days like that. I don't use that word very often, something I learned from listening to Shane Weaver, but I really hate organ harvests.'

'It's something I never really thought of you and Andrea doing. When she said you work a lot with Doctor Harvey, I figured that was your main responsibility, helping deliver babies.'

'My job sees more death than hers. I've seen surgeons lose patients on the table and have to tell their families, it's hard.' Daniel sighed, scrubbed his hand over his face. 'I see it so much differently now that we're having a baby. That was someone's son, someone's brother we cut open and strip-mined like a stolen Chevy today and...'

He let out a shaky sigh and before he knew what was happening, Agnes had moved closer, wrapped her wiry arm around his thick shoulders. The simple, supportive gesture had him fighting to keep his cool, but it was very much a losing battle. 'Oh, God, Agnes, all I could think of was Andrea and our baby.'

'I know, darling, you love them both so much.'

'New York can be a scary place, how do I keep them safe?'

'Well, as I understand it, in your inner circle of people you've got no less than three cops, three nurses, a paramedic and two doctors, amongst other occupations yes?'

'Uh-huh.'

'And from what I saw on moving day with that young man, RJ, the way he talked about the little ones his age, this baby's got some built-in bodyguards as it is. I understand that my lack of presence meant Andrea had to find a lot of her family and I seriously dn't think you could find a better one than that.'

'No offense Agnes, but what do you know about them, you haven't met a lot of them.'

'I saw the way Honey-Dew leapt to her defense when we went shopping in March and none of her sisters ever did that.'

'Honey-Milk,' Daniel corrected on a small laugh. It was nice to laugh even over something so trivial as a co-worker's nickname. 'We call her Honey-Milk.'

'Right. Anyways, she went all mama-bear for her friend, something I never saw Cora and Gerry ever do. And when you came to help me move, your friends Richard and Kate were there to be supportive of you since they don't trust me yet.' Agnes shrugged it off; she knew it would come in time since she was damned determined to prove her worth. 'Daniel you know what you are?'

'A big suck?'

'A man who is about to be a first-time daddy. Stefan was the same way and look how amazing Andrea turned out, and I'd bet my entire collection of Hermes scarves that all those cops who are daddies too had their moments of freaking out.'

'I know they have, they've told me over poker nights.'

'There you go. Now, I know you're still probably feeling crappy but I know Andrea's excited to have a meal together with you, so I think I'm going to leave you two to your privacy.'

'Actually, Agnes, I'd love it if you stayed, had a meal with us. We can update you on Andrea's doctor appointment from this morning.'

Now it was Agnes' turn to let out a shaky breath. 'I'd like that very much.'


	67. Incredible Daniel: 36 Weeks

_Hello all my little Crumbsians! Hope you have had a chance to see my Twitter-feed tonight and see I got a direct Tweet-back from the man himself - Mr Jon Huertas! How the hell I had the concentration to write this chapter after that little moment is a mystery to me, but if there is some kind of blooper, you'll understand why. And as always, thank you for your love and support on this story! Enjoy!_

* * *

><p>Andrea lay on her back in bed, staring at the ceiling as she scrunched up her face in frustration. She was going to lose her mind pretty damn soon - she'd been on her mat-leave for a week and all this sitting around with little more to do than eat, sleep, and stare at things had her going more than a little crazy. After a little dizzy spell on the ward while she'd been at work, she'd made the executive decision to start her maternity leave on the twenty-fifth of July instead of August first like she'd planned to do. Now, it was August third and she was ready to scream bloody murder.<p>

She'd never been so uncomfortable in her life, she was just ready to reach up in there and yank the little xenomorph out herself. Andrea knew she wasn't due for another week and a half, but the way she was feeling she was ready to ride bareback on a horse over two miles of cobblestones to jump-start the labor process.

And Daniel was just being so wonderful and patient, which only made it worse. She wanted him to slip up, screw something up so she'd have a real reason to bitch and not just be fussy and snappy at him for no reason other than anxiety. He was even still having sex with her, even though she was fairly certain half the time she went down on him it was so she'd have something in her mouth to stop her whining.

Propping herself to her elbows, Andrea looked down at the mountain of her breasts and her belly. 'I'm a mountain range,' she mumbled in a whine to herself. 'The bloody friggin' Andrea Mountains.'

'Andrea? Honey?'

'What?'

Daniel, who'd awoken when he heard his bride shifting around beside him in bed, lifted his head off the pillow at her testy response. 'Everything okay?'

'Well let's see.' Andrea's face is set in a stubborn pout as she glared at him. 'My body looks like a goddamn barn right now, which is appropriate because I feel like a fuckin' heifer. My ass is gigantic, and for the first time in my life my stomach pokes out farther than my tits which are disgustingly huge too, and all I can do is wait.'

She knew she was on a self-pitying, self-indulgent role but she didn't give one wet-slapping rat's ass what she sounded like at this point. 'Wait around while I rest up like a damn beached whale so that I can look like a grunting and rutting animal while I push this baby into the world in sweat and pain and blood. I'm just about ready to pay Esposito or Ryan or Beckett to drive her over a set of train-tracks just so I can feel a little bit like myself again. So to answer your question, Daniel Josiah, no. No I am not okay.'

Daniel watched her punch at the bedsheets, her soft pillows that she was keeping between her knees to ease the pressure on her back. 'Feel a little better now?' he asked sweetly, and felt his heart break when she began to weep a little. 'Andrea, it's okay, my love. The baby will be here soon.'

'Not soon enough. You haven't had to watch yourself get bigger and bigger by the day. I know that's how babies are made and everything, but dammit, I...oh, man, give it a rest, kid, I'm not swearing at you!' Andrea hollered at her belly as the baby kicked at her insides, then rubbed her abdomen. 'I'm sorry, my little hitch-hiker, but Mama's just very impatient and wanting to see you.'

'So is Daddy, he wishes there was something he could do to make Mama feel better,' Daniel added to the belly. 'Maybe would she like a nice big breakfast? Bacon and eggs and waffles?'

'Oooh, French toast.' Andrea wiggled, felt the little pinch in her belly. 'And lots of fluids. It's hot as hell outside and we're going to be outside for a good part of the day.'

'I'm so excited to see these photos, baby. You want a hand?'

'Yes,' she said with a pitiful sniffle in her voice.

Daniel tossed back his covers and rounded the foot of the bed to reach her side, tug her hands to help her stand up. He brushed his hand over the bulge underneath her loose nightie and gave her a look of pure love. 'It'll be here soon, sweetheart.'

'Can we get a nice cool shower together, just in case I feel a little light-headed again?'

'Of course.'

Daniel led her into the bathroom, and once they were in the shower, he quickly cleansed himself so he could give her the attention she needed - he washed her hair, scrubbed her skin down gently with the loofah, even helped her shave under her arms and her legs so that by the time they were done, she was a glowing little dumpling.

'You want a hand doing your hair, honey?' he asked and she nodded again, so Daniel wrapped her in her extra-wide bath towel and sat her on the closed lid of the toilet. With a little guidance from her, he managed to not only blow-dry her hair but also straighten it so it was a fiery waterfall over her sun-kissed shoulders. 'There we are, pretty as a little red-rose.'

'Hope the people at Sloan's exhibit say the same thing.'

'Is your mother meeting us at the park or are we going to her place first?'

'Meeting us there. Everyone is going to be there, even Alexis and Shane. She was upset to have missed the photo-shoot but she also mentioned that she wasn't comfortable doing it because she knew the press she would get for it would hit more than herself.'

'Like 'Richard Castle's Daughter Bares All For Exhibit' or something?' Daniel asked, brushing his teeth as Andrea smeared cocoa butter lotion over her arms and body.

'Yeah, she...mmf, she also has to think of her future mother-in-law.'

'Oh?'

'Yeah, Shir Weaver is a big-wig for the Mossad.'

'Andrea, why are you wincing?'

She wrinkled her nose. 'I'm having awful Braxton-Hicks today. They are more than a little uncomfortable.'

'You sure it's not the real thing?'

'Daniel, I'm sure I'll know the difference between real labour and false labour.'

'Okay. Hey, I have an idea.' Daniel spit his mouthful of toothpaste foam into the sink and gave her a grin. 'Why don't you go to the exhibit like that? You can say you're a live promo for Sloan's artwork.'

'Cheeky.'

'No, honey, right now that's you.'

* * *

><p>There was a breeze blowing through Strawberry Fields as Andrea and Daniel walked in; Andrea was still feeling the rhythmic and consistent pinches in her belly but since they felt like her normal Braxton-Hicks ripples, she paid them no mind. Looking around at the space she felt a great surge of pride. This tranquil garden in Central Park was a little hive of activity; they ran into Lili, Lanie, and Honey-Milk as they made their way through the crowds, stopping to admire the photos and even getting their picture taken with some of the exhibit-goers who recognized Andrea from her selection of portraits.<p>

Andrea told Daniel she wanted to save her own for last, so they decided to wind their way to the main showpiece after seeing all the other women's studies: at the centre of Strawberry Fields' pavilion was an easel by the gate of the park that featured the group picture in black-and-white of all five women. Beneath it were the words _Real Live Women: Five Portraits_. Daniel immediately went over, stared a little bit slack-jawed at the image, then at his wife.

'That is just gorgeous, Andrea.'

'You think so?'

'Absolutely.'

'There you are my darlings!'

The couple glanced up and saw Agnes coming up to them. She was in a summery looking dress the coloured of crushed blackberries and wearing a wide-brimmed straw hat with no sunglasses. Her embrace was warm and genuine for them both and she looked at the group photo with awe.

'Andrea, I owe you a sincere apology. I should never have told you to try and look slimmer for your husband, because you are just gorgeous in this photo.'

'You think that's hot, come check out your pictures.'

'Hey!' Andrea turned, saw Meredeth had walked up behind her in a very stealthy way and wrapped her arms around her friend as best as she could. 'When did you get here?'

'Just a few minutes ago. Lili, Lanie and Honey-Milk all told me you haven't seen your pictures yet?'

'No I was saving them for last. Are you flying solo today, or is the brood with you?'

'Javi's around here with Tessi and the twins,' Meredeth gestured vaguely, 'probably trying to figure out how he's going to buy one of the portraits of just me.'

'Buy one?' Daniel asked, which had her nodding.

'Come, come. Agnes, you too.'

Like a mother duck ushering her brood along, the writer steered them towards the panel that featured all of Andrea's photographs, and on the little placards with the title of them were some discreet little blue, yellow, and green dots. 'Blue dots are ones that have been sold, yellows are bidding wars and greens are

'Oh man, I didn't think she was going to use that one,' Andrea laughed, pointed to the one of Andrea kneeling on the bed, her head lolled to the side as she smiled like a child hugging her teddy-bear while she held one arm over her breasts and the other over her belly. 'I thought I looked so goofy.'

'You look positively enraptured,' Agnes said, 'and it's going to look great in my living room.'

'You bought it?' Daniel asked with an impressed grin.

Agnes nodded, tapped the little blue sticker. 'Andrea Earth Mother Number Four is worth every last one of her three thousand macanudos.'

'Wow.'

'What, you didn't think Sloan's work would fetch that much?' Meredeth chuckled when she shook her head. 'The original prints are always worth in the four digits, but Sloan keeps the negatives to sell copies. She's going to be huge.'

'Speaking of huge, Andrea are you feeling okay?' Agnes eyed her daughter with a little bit of worry; she'd seen how the woman was rubbing her belly in the same spot like clockwork every ten minutes or so.'

'Yeah, I'm fine.'

'Last time I checked, honey, making this face-' Meredeth demonstrated Andrea's wince '-'isn't a sign someone is fine.'

'It's nothing. Just a couple of little Braxton-Hicks pinches.'

'Still?' Daniel looked impatient and finally, he decided enough was enough. 'Okay, that's it, you've been doing this since you woke up, I'm taking you to the hospital.'

'I've got the Nissan in the parking-lot across the street,' Meredeth offered, jerking her thumb over her shoulder, and he nodded at her.

'Daniel, I'm fine,' Andrea started to protest, then felt a sharp pang in her abdomen, stronger than before as she followed Meredeth towards the park entrance, Daniel's arm looped through hers for balance.

'I'm sure you are, but humour the impatient daddy.'


	68. Early Bird

'Okay, I'm going to go and park, Daniel you take her inside for the paperwork and everything.'

Andrea glared at Meredeth as she pulled up to the clinic entrance of Saint Vincent's hospital. 'Really, Mere, you guys are all overreacting.'

'Darling, you're a nurse, you should know of all people better safe than sorry,' Agnes told her in a surprisingly calm voice; inside she was running around like that poor proverbial headless chicken. 'And besides, even if you're not in labour, you should get those little pinchy feelings checked out. Right, Daniel?'

'Absolutely.' The notion he'd just agreed with his mother-in-law concerning his wife's welfare had Daniel fighting a shudder as he helped Andrea out of the car and into the hospital. 'Come on, there biggun, let's go find out what the deal is.'

As she was already registered with the hospital as a maternity patient, Andrea had no problem being escorted into an examination room, where as luck would have it, Harvey was the rotating physician through the clinic. Andrea had just settled herself back against the bank of pillows on the gurney when Agnes and Meredeth came in.

'Guys, come on.' Andrea tried to get through to them about how ridiculous they were being as Daniel helped her into the hospital gown, folded her clothes into a nice neat pile for her. 'It's probably indigestion, or false labour. It's been hot lately, and I don't think I've drank enough.'

'How about we let Harvey decide your diagnosis, since he's the physician,' Agnes said, then straightened up when the door opened and the man himself walked in.

'Well, nothing spices up a party in the park a possible baby arrival. Andrea, feet up like a good lass.'

Andrea sighed impatiently as she scooted her body towards the end of the examination table, heels in the stirrups. 'I'm so sorry for this, Harvey,' she apologized as he gave her the exam. 'I feel fine, they're just being a bunch of overprotective ninnies.'

'Overprotective ninnies who are right.' Harvey laughed a little as he watched Andrea's head snap up, give him a deer-in-headlights stare. 'Your water hasn't broken yet, but your are already dilated between two and three centimetres.'

'What?'

'You're in labour, Andrea and from my exam your water won't last much-'

Harvey was interrupted by the sudden _sploosh_ of fluid from between Andrea's thigh that landed in a noisy puddle on the floor. 'Longer,' he finished. 'It appears we are in a Ben Stiller movie today.'

'Oh, honey!' Meredeth, who had actually maintained her composure when he'd met the oh-so-hunky Adrian Pasdar, bounced up and down on the spot like a spring-loaded tween with a severe case of Bieber-fever. 'Now, aren't you glad I brought you in the car?'

'We'll get you admitted, hooked up to a monitor. Next time you go home, you'll be a party of three.' Harvey picked up the chart, grinned at them. 'It's a beautiful day for a birthday too.'

* * *

><p>The news of this sudden left-turn spread through their group like wildfire and within the hour that Andrea was admitted up to her room on the maternity ward everyone, it seemed, was there. Their bags were delivered with one of the families - Daniel didn't know which one, or really care much - and they took turns in a systematic rotation sitting with Andrea as her contractions become stronger. Someone also had the wits to call Stefan and Sean, to let them know that Andrea was in labour a week and a half early.<p>

'If I'd known this was going to happen today, I wouldn't have flipped out on you, Daniel,' she told her husband as she wandered around the birthing suite, tugging her IV pole along like it was a little red Radio Flyer. 'I need you here with me.'

'Andrea, you've spent the last nine months growing our baby. Where else am I going to go now that it's time to bring it into the world?' He watched her toddled in half-circles around the foot of the bed. 'I know I'm a nurse and work with Harvey, but I'm in charge of the drugs. Is that helping you?'

'Yeah, mentally, if not physically.'

'Okay.'

'Oh. Oh, man, feeling this one.' Andrea sat down on the edge of the bed, began to rub her abdomen. It was rock-hard now, and with her eyes closed in concentration, she could only feel her husband sit down beside her, his sturdy hands on hers.

'That's it, sweetie, just breathe. There we go, there we go, you're almost there.' Daniel looked at the monitor, and watched the contraction ebb. 'That's my girl.'

'Back into bed for a few now,' Andrea declared, and as she was swinging her feet up, there was a small knock on the door. She glanced over, saw it was Esposito, Castle, Ryan and some of their kids - Tessi, RJ and Mallory were all there with wide-eyed looks.

'Hey, mind if they get in their pre-baby visit now?' Castle asked.

'Not at all.'

'Okay, just remember what we talked about,' Esposito reminded them, and Tessi nodded solemnly.

'The baby is cuh...comin' soon. We haffa be very nice and cuh...cuh...careful.'

'We pay nice wit' baby,' RJ added.

'Nice,' Mallory echoed and moved forward first, cautiously patted Andrea's hand. 'How you feelin', An-dee-ah?'

'Tired, nervous. You think I'll be a good mom?'

'Fo' sho',' Tessi said with a little street-twang in her voice that was identical to her daddys; the sound of it had Daniel laughing out loud. 'What I do, Daniel?'

'Nothing, you just sound very sweet.'

'Annie, you need a 'pa-tion?' RJ asked timidly. 'Kelley an' Mally mamas need 'pa-tion fo' babies.'

'No, sweetheart I don't need an operation to get the baby out,' Andrea reassured RJ. 'It's...well, Richard have you had this talk with RJ yet?'

'Briefly,' the writer replied. 'RJ, remember we talked about how babies are made?'

'They come out the pi-vate 'pot.'

'That's right,' Castle began, then saw Andrea make a face of discomfort. 'RJ, come on, Andrea needs to save her energy for making sure the baby gets here safely.'

'Okay, Daddy. Bye hish-hiker, see you soon.' The little boy gave the belly a little kiss, a gesture which Tessi and Mallory repeated and they left; Andrea and Daniel didn't find themselves alone for long as Cam, Lili and Dave came in.

'Hey girl!' Lili's smile was wide and generous as she set down by Andrea's feet. 'So, looks like Meredeth driving uptown today was a handy thing, huh?'

'I'll say.'

'Let's have a peek at the turkey here.' Cam, dressed in his scrubs, walked over to look at the monitors and made notes on the chart. 'Looking good, Andrea. How long are contractions, how far apart?'

'They last about forty seconds and are roughly nine minutes apart,' Daniel replied, then studied the man when it hit him. 'Cam, where's your cane?'

'I don't use the kick-stand at work, it gets in the way too much, so I have these.' He showed off his custom sneakers.

'Why-'

'It's better for my ligaments to use my cane and walk as normally as possible until I get my surgery in the fall.'

Andrea saw Lili's chest hitch a little, and patted her friend's hand. 'He'll be fine, Lili.'

'And here I thought it was my job to reassure you since you're the one in labour.'

'Don't worry, there's still plenty of day left.'

'Which is why I'm here.' Dave, ever the soft-spoken steady rock, stepped forward and clapped his hand on Daniel's sturdy shoulder. 'Castle and company have sandwiches and things in the lounge.'

'No fair,' Andrea said in a tone perilously close to a whine. 'I want a sandwich too.'

'Man, you really were a little sister, weren't you,' Lili giggled as the men left. 'What do you think you want for your first post-birth meal? I had Cuban sandwiches with chips and pickles for Duncan, and Rosie was a surgical birth so I got Mami to make me this amazing tomato and plantain soup with homemade water-bread.'

'I know you're trying to keep me cheery and all, Lili, but not while talking about food. I'm starving, and I can only have water and clear juice when I just want to sink my teeth in a big, fat- oh!'

Andrea's face scrunched up and she began to blow out her cheeks in puffy little breaths; such was the state of her concentration she didn't even notice Lili had moved from the end of the bed to the chair beside her and was holding her hand as she worked through the contraction. When she felt the muscles loosen on her body, Andrea sighed, flopped back against the pillow.

'Oh, man. Honey-Milk did this without drugs?'

'Yep.'

'She's insane.'

'Yep.'

'Andrea? You okay?'

She glanced up to see Lanie, Daniel and her mother standing in the doorway, Lanie with plants, Daniel with a cup of ice and Agnes with an extra pillow in their hands.

'Yeah, Mom, I'm fine. Just a big one.'

'Harvey's on his way up to see you soon, and more drugs are coming your way my love. What were you at the last time he checked on you?' Daniel asked, sitting in the seat Lili vacated for him.

'I was at five, and he said I get an epidural at six. What time is it?'

'Almost four in the afternoon. I think they are just about ready to order dinner for the kids in the lounge.'

'They?' Andrea asked, feeling a little dumb; she was more than a little distracted.

'Your family, darling.' Agnes came to the other side of her daughter's bed, propped the extra pillow behind her back. 'The Castles and Espositos and all of them. Even the Mazzaras.'

'Really?'

'Of course,' Lanie said in a patient voice. 'You've been there for us, and now it's our turn for you.'

'Lanie, do you think I could have a little time just me and my daughter and son-in-law,' Agnes asked politely, and Lanie nodded.

'Sure. You know where to find us when you're done.'

When she'd gone, Agnes looked at her daughter, looked around. 'Can I...would you like to me to braid your hair off your face, Andrea? It might be cooler for you.'

Andrea nodded, and as Agnes took out the make-up kit from her bag and began to pull the hairbrush through her hair, Daniel watched the calm go through his wife like a curtain. He'd never seen her look so peaceful, and he was so proud of her. He'd seen her fight some horrible demons, real ones and the remnant shadow ones too, and he wouldn't have changed a single bit of it, because it had all made her much stronger and brought them to this point.

They were married. Andrea had made amends with her mother. His own father was on the rebound. And tonight, they were going to be parents.


	69. Join the Club

By seven pm, Andrea was at eight centimetres and her contractions were only three minutes apart. Daniel sat with her the whole time, and if he wasn't there, one of their friends was so Andrea wouldn't be alone. The last break he took, he'd changed into his lucky scrubs - the blue ones with comic book fight noises all over them; he considered them his lucky scrubs, as they were the ones he'd been wearing when he'd asked Andrea if she wanted to get together for Thanksgiving dinner that had turned out to be their first date.

He watched the monitor with an avaricious eye as her heart dropped by only a few beats as she came down from the contraction. His lovely Andrea's face was red and sweaty from effort and he reached into the basin, swiped the cool cloth over her brow.

'You are a champion, Andrea Darcy,' he murmured to her. 'You really are.'

'I feel like I'm just sitting here, getting through it.'

'I think this is one of those 'no uterus, no idea' things,' Daniel chuckled, 'because I've never seen anything so brave in my life.'

'How is your dad handling it?'

'He's okay.' Stefan and Sean had both been in earlier to check on Andrea, and ever since, she'd been thinking about the strain of excitement on his heart. 'He's been given a clean bill of health by the doctors and besides, you having a baby isn't going to send him into cardiac arrest. It's happy stress.'

'If you say so-oh...oh mother damn, fuck me.' Andrea's eyes slammed shut and she began to pant out little breaths. Her hand shot out, and Daniel was there, gripping it as she keened through the pain. 'Ow, ow, ow.'

'Breathe, sweetheart, blow it out, just like the one before.'

'Uh-huh,' she replied through gritted teeth, then sighed grandly as she slumped back against her bank of pillows for what felt like the thousandth time. 'Oh god, I hope I get to push soon. How long have I been doing this?'

'Since we got to the hospital, about eight hours or so. Since you woke up, about thirteen.'

'Meredeth still wins with Tessi. Fifteen hours. Harvey,' Andrea addressed the doctor as he came in with Cam and other orderlies, the sight of whom had her feeling a surge of energy. 'When it it time to push?'

The doctor checked Andrea's nether-regions, then patted her leg. 'I think we've hit that mark, Nurse Brick.'

'We have?'

'Yep. Cam and the orderlies will move you into the birthing room across the skywalk.'

'Oh man. Oh man.' Andrea looked at Daniel, caught her lip in her teeth. 'This is it, Daniel.'

'I see you're already in uniform,' Cam teased him as they began to hook Andrea's IV tubes and monitor lines to the pole on her bed for transport. 'You'd have made an excellent soldier.'

'My dad went to Korea when he was eighteen, so I suppose it's genetic.'

'Daniel?' Andrea looked around as they began to move; she didn't want him out of her sight for one moment. 'Daniel, where's Jenny?'

'Nurse Ryan is already in the birthing room,' Harvey told her calmly as they entered the hallway. 'And your mother's right here.'

Andrea glanced over, saw Agnes there with tears streaming down her face. 'Mom, I'll be okay, it's just a baby.'

'I know, darling, I'm just so proud of you.' Agnes leaned over, kissed her daughter's brow. 'I'll be waiting right outside here. I want to know the minute there's something to know.'

Andrea nodded, then felt another contraction hit and the only thing she was conscious of was Daniel's voice murmuring to her that she was so strong, so brave. When she opened her eyes, they were in the birthing room, and she felt slightly nauseated by the sterile smell of it. She didn't have long to focus on it, as she was moved from one bed to the other, where Honey-Milk was putting down sterile drop cloths under Andrea's hips, and dabbing once more at her friend's brow with a cloth.

'Don't worry, honey,' Honey-Milk murmured, 'we'll make sure you and your baby are just fine.'

'Okay.'

'Daniel, are you going to be behind Andrea or out here?'

'Out here. I'm a solid guy and if she needs something to kick I'm right here.'

'Like Lanie did with Carey,' Andrea said with a little smile, then let out a cry. 'Daniel!'

'Okay, honey, I'm here, I'm here.' Daniel kissed the back of her hand where it was clamped in his as Harvey came in from the scrub room with Cam. Both were wearing their masks and gloves and Harvey took his spot on the rolling-foot stool by Andrea's feet, which she'd planted on the bed rather than putting into the stirrups; he knew she was more comfortable in that position. He gave the area a good visual examination and nodded briskly.

'Good, Andrea, everything looks good here. You can rest a few minutes, we're almost ready here.'

'No push yet?'

'Not yet,' Harvey agreed. 'Nurse Ryan, Nurse George, can you please massage Andrea's legs as we wait?'

The nurses each found a spot on either side of Andrea with Daniel by her head so that she had a focus point. She looked deep into those blue-green eyes, and briefly wondered if the baby would have her eyes or his when she felt the contraction hit her like a tonne of bricks.

'Okay, on three Andrea, you're going to take a deep breath and push for thirty seconds,' Harvey told her. 'One, two three, and push!'

Andrea clenched her eyes shut, put all of her energy into the lower half of her body. It was like trying to shove a watermelon through a keyhole, and all she wanted was to get it out. She leaned forward, felt Cam and Honey-Milk give her resistance, then heard Harvey's voice clear as a bell through the roaring inside her own head.

'Good, that's a good first push Andrea, and rest now.'

'Gotta...need a drink,' she panted, and Honey-Milk left her post to bring over some ice chips which didn't quench her thirst but certainly made her lips feel less dry. 'Can I go again yet?'

'Not yet, thirty more seconds.'

'Andrea, honey,' Daniel started, then stopped when his wife squeezed his hand as the next contraction hit. He swore he heard the bones creak together as her grip tightened but he knew this was not the time or place at all to bring up his own slight discomfit. He watched her fight her way through the next contraction, panting the entire time like they were on a deep-sea dive and coming up for air. Saying nothing, he reached to the table beside the bed, and grabbed one of the damp cloths to pat down Andrea's forehead.

'Thank you, baby,' she sighed, chest heaving, eyes streaming tears of effort and strain. 'Thank you so much Daniel.'

'Andrea, honey, you're going to rest a moment now, don't push on the next contraction,' Harvey told her. 'Cameron, can I please have the tube of MedPro?'

Cam passed the doctor the medical gel and Harvey smeared it where it was needed. Andrea and Daniel had certainly done their homework with their massage, but this baby was all head and shoulders and it would be a very heavy-lifting labour for Andrea. 'Okay, there we are, keep breathing steady Andrea, you'll push on the next contraction.'

'Okay. Okay.'

She took a bracing breath as best as she could, and bore down as she pushed, heels digging into the mattress of the birthing bed. It felt like she was going to split in half this time. 'Oh god fuck it! Fuck, fuck, fuck! It's crowning isn't it?'

'You are good, Nurse Brick,' Harvey laughed. 'Daniel you want to see?'

He did, but neither did want to leave Andrea's side for a milisecond. 'You got a mirror, Doc?'

'Yes we do.' Anticipating this, Honey-Milk had brought one in, and she held it up so that both Andrea and Daniel could see the fuzzy sloping dome working its way out of the birth canal. 'You're doing great, honey,' she added to Andrea when she'd set the mirror down. 'You really paid attention in class.'

'Oh, shut up! Shut up you stupid ignorant cow!'

'That's it?' Honey-Milk had her traditions in the birthign room and this was one she wasn't going to let slip. 'Come on, girl, you can do better than that.'

'Sweetie, breathe,' Daniel tried to say, and heard his beloved let loose a stream of the foulest sailor-curses he'd ever heard her say, even worse than when she'd been bitten on the foot by a moray eel.

'Daniel, shut your hole, you worthless Irish shit for brains mother-fucker!' she wailed, the contraction hitting its high point. 'Goddamn idiot monkey-fucker!'

'Every man is,' Cam agreed; he hadn't even heard some of the soldiers in his platoon talk like that, but then, none of them were women who'd given birth.

As Harvey told her to relax and rest between the contractions, Andrea looked at her husband, apology and pain in her eyes. 'I didn't mean it, baby,' she whimpered, even as she squeezed his hand tightly.

'Andrea, it's fine,' he reassured her, and swiped the dampened cloth over her brow.

'Oh, God!' Andrea felt the next contraction hit and looked at Harvey. 'Lemme push!'

'Andrea you need to rest a moment, your body is doing the work for you.'

It took another fifteen minutes alternated of pushing and resting for the head to finally work its way out along with the shoulders; by this point, Andrea was weeping openly as was Daniel - he wanted with all his might to fix it for her - but she finally reached the point where Harvey said she needed just one more push.

'Come on, sweetheart, one more big push,' Daniel encouraged her, felt her nails sink into the flesh of his forearm. 'That's it, come on.'

'Daniel shut up!' Andrea cried as she dug her grip in further. 'No! No more!'

'It's okay, Andrea, you can take a break,' Harvey told her, wiping at the fluid from the baby nostrils. 'The hard part's over, the head's out.'

'Until you're pushing a basketball through your scrotum, Doctor Harvey, you don't get to tell me when the hard part's done!' she bellowed, slumping back against Daniel.

'Okay, in five seconds, one more big push, Andrea and you'll have yourself a baby.'

'You can do it, my love, come on Andrea,' Daniel murmured in her ear. He watched in awe as she bore down one last time and pushed with all her might.

Then he heard it - the sound he'd heard many times before that was now the most beautiful in the world to him.

A baby's cry. Their baby.

Andrea let out a gasping, crying laugh. 'What is it?'

'It's a girl,' Harvey replied, grinning, wiping off the worst of the birthing fluid as he held the newborn up for them to see. 'A beautiful, healthy little girl.'


	70. Another Brick inthe House: 9 Minutes Old

'A daughter.' Andrea gripped Daniel's hand tightly. 'We have a daughter, Daniel.'

'She's perfect,' he laughed; tears rolled down his cheeks at the sight of their child. She had Andrea's pale porcelain skin and red hair, and his footballer's shoulders and was the most gorgeous thing he'd ever seen in his life, birthing fluid and all. 'Oh Andrea, she's just perfect.'

'Care to do the honours, Daddy?' Harvey held up the scissor for cutting the umbilical cord and Daniel nodded; reaching forward he snipped the connective tissue and grinned. 'Congratulations, you guys. She's just gorgeous.'

The doctor held up the baby to Andrea in the white receiving blanket, the arms and legs wriggling like landed fish while she let them know by way of a loud wail her lungs were good and healthy.

'My goodness, you're a noisy one, aren't you. I'm sorry for swearing so much near the end there, really I am. Oh. Oh, look at that!' Andrea watched in wonder as her little girl's cries dampened in volume at the sound of her voice, and she tried to blink dark eyes - colour indeterminate - at her mother. 'She knows me! Hey boo-boo, it's Mama, remember me?'

'Of course she does,' Daniel murmured, studying his child's face as she settled into little mewling noises while Andrea continued to whisper to her. 'That's right, my little Irish sweetpea, that's Mama and I'm Daddy, and you have no idea how many people are excited to see you. You've got so many aunts and uncles and little people just like you.'

'Did we decide on a name?' Honey-Milk asked.

'Yeah, do we still want that one?' Andrea asked Daniel, and he nodded.

'It suits her perfectly.'

'Okay. Jenny, I'd like you to meet our daughter, Stefanie Sinead Hennessey Brick. Nessa, this is Jenny, but we call her Honey-Milk and she can tell you where that name came from.'

Andrea laughed when Nessa's little hand waved wildly and caught the tip of her finger, squeezed hard. 'That's right, I'm not going anywhere.'

'Well, actually, Nessa needs to take a little trip to Mister Weighing-Station and Miz Heat-Lamp so we can get her vitals down to start filling out her birth record,' Honey-Milk said with a little wrinkle in her nose. 'Daddy gets to go with her for that one because Harvey needs to deliver the placenta and get those cells preserved.'

'Oh, sure, sure.' Daniel kissed Andrea's temple, climbed out from behind her. 'Nessa and I are going right over there, my sweet.'  
>He walked over on unsteady legs with Nessa and Honey-Milk and Nessa was already annoyed at being away from her mother, as she continued to wail and work out her little lungs.<p>

'Oh, I know, honey, I know, it's so different and weird out here, and much colder, I bet. Everything's all cozy inside your mama, huh? Honey-Milk crooned.

'Hey, sweetpea, how's it going, girlfriend?' Daniel leaned in, hand hovering and Nessa caught his finger, crushed it with her little iron grip. 'that's quite a handshake you've got there. It's alright, Daddy's not going anywhere.'

'Okay, let's get your paperwork done, little miss. How are you spelling her name?' Honey-Milk asked.

'Stefanie, S-T-E-F-A-N-I-E Sinead Hennessey Brick.'

'Alright, Stefanie Sinead Hennessey Brick, born August third at nine-fifteen pm on the nose this afternoon. And you are a good and healthy girl, seven pounds ten ounces or three point four-five-eight kilos, and eighteen point two inches, or forty-six point two-two-eight centimetres long. You're gonna be a glamazon like your mama.'

'She's already got the red hair,' Daniel murmured, then laughed when Nessa's butt leaked the foul black ooze every baby let out after birth. 'Oh, yeah, get that out, sweetheart, better out than in.'

'Exactly.'

Honey-Milk efficiently wiped down the girl's bottom and fixed on her newborn sized nappy, mindful of the belly-button stump, then once she was the rest of the way cleaned, dressed her in a soft white onsie and swaddled Nessa up in a gorgeous yellow blankie with navy blue 12's on it and a matching newborn cap.

'This is what all the newborn babies in our family get. Yellow with blue for little ladies, and blue with yellow for the boys.' Honey-Milk picked her up and settled Nessa against her shoulder as she took her back over to Andrea, where Harvey was still helping deliver the after-birth.

'Go ahead, Andrea,' he reassured her, 'you can hold her while I finish this up.'

Andrea's eyes welled up as she held out her arms for her baby and she stroked a fingertip down Nessa's cheek. 'That's right, you are Nessa Brick, and you have so many adventures in front of you, but this one has been one of the best for me so far.'

'And me too,' Daniel agreed, love glowing so pure and bright in his heart he wondered how it didn't burst into flames in his chest. His daughter, he thought, he was a father with a gorgeous little daughter. 'You should brace yourself, because you're not even an hour old and your social calendar is already jam packed, I guarantee it.'

'How are you feeling, Mom?' Honey-Milk asked. She'd picked up the still camera and had taken a few quiet shots of the new parents with their bundle of joy before approaching them. Her hand was cool and welcoming on Andrea's forehead. 'Oh, sweetie, you're warm. Here.'

Rather than going over to cloth, Honey-Milk retrieved the ice chips and traced one over the heated skin, making Andrea sigh in pleasure.

'Oh yes, that's the ticket. Why don't you and Cam get out of here, go tell everyone? Daniel, you need to update Mom.'

'The hell I do,' Daniel retorted haughtily, his eyes never leaving Nessa's snoozing little face. He could see her eyes darting back and forth under her closed eyelids as she creaked and murmured in her sleep. 'I'm staying with my best girls right now.'

'I'll go.' Ever the stalwart soldier, Cam tugged off his sterile gloves and his cammo-printed scrub cap and ran his hand through his hair. 'What's your mother's name again?'

'Agnes, I have a feeling she'll be right outside,' Andrea replied, then yawned. She was, in simple words, sore, deliriously happy and exhausted. She wanted to spend the next several centuries cuddling this beautiful baby - her baby - against her chest but she also felt like she could use a nap that long as well. 'You sure, Cam?'

'I got this one. Here we go, here we go.' With careful precision, Cam scooped little Nessa out of her mother's arms and put her in the bassinet that was waiting for her. 'We'll get Mama back in her bed, back to your room and you can follow her up with Daddy, Cadet Brick.'

'Thanks, man.' Daniel held out his hand to Cam, shook it before watching Harvey and Honey-Milk unhook the epidural line and helping Andrea move back into her birthing suite bed.

Cam shoved open the door and correctly assumed the woman in the deep-purple sundress nervously cracking her knuckles was Andrea's mother. She was propped against the wall, her left foot jiggling nervously as he approached her.

'Excuse me.'

Agnes' head snapped around and she rocketed to her feet. 'Nurse? You have news?'

'I'm Cam George, Lili's husband?'

'Right, I can't remember right now if we've met before, I'm...' She let out a little laugh. 'I'm a little distracted.'

'It's okay, but I came to collect you to tell you we've got news to share with everyone else.'

'News?'

'You've got a granddaughter Agnes,' Cam told her with a wide grin, and wasn't surprised when she flung her arms around him, let out a joyous yell.

'A girl! They have a little girl?'

'Stefanie Sinead Hennessey Brick. Little Nessa, they're calling her. She's seven pounds ten ounces and eighteen inches long.'

Agnes' eyes sparkled with happy tears and she didn't bother to hold them back. 'My little girl has her own little girl now. How is Andrea, and Daniel?'

'She was a champ and Daniel was right there cheering her on. They're going to be moving her back to her suite to get some rest. Daniel's staying with her and the baby.'

'Come on, handsome, let's go tell the rest of the family.'

Agnes looped her arm through Cam's and they walked over the sky walk to the lounge, not at all surprised to find the Espositos, the Ryans, the Parrish-Robbins, the Weavers, and even the Mazzaras. The children were all camped out in sleeping bags on the floor while the adults were sitting in the chairs; to save space, Alexis was actually sitting on Shane's lap as was Lanie on Dave's. 'Excuse me, everyone,' she said, and instantly, everyone jerked themselves awake.

'Agnes.' Castle yawned as he tried to focus his eyes. Though it wasn't late, it had definitely been a long day as it always was when babies were born. And the look on Andrea's mother's face told him they had another little one to spoil at Christmas this year. 'You're a grandmother?'

The others eagerly awaited her response and cheered softly when she nodded. 'What is it?' Beckett asked eagerly.

'A granddaughter. Stefanie Sinead Hennessey Brick, they're calling her Nessa.'

'Like in _Wicked,' _Ryan said, being a bit of a musical theatre buff thanks to his wife. 'How big?'

'Seven pounds, ten ounces,' Cam supplied. 'And Andrea came through it in one piece.'

'That's good.' As someone who'd had two very difficult births, Meredeth could appreciate that. 'She's resting now?'

'Yeah, we gave her a sedative to get some rest. She was pushing for nearly forty minutes.'

'Ouch.' Dave winced a little, kissed Lanie's cheek. 'I'm guessing Nessa was all head?'

'Head and shoulders, built like a linebacker. I almost thought she was a boy until she slipped out the rest of the way.'

'Daddy?'

Agnes looked over to see the oldest of the children - Dell, she remembered his name was; there was so many of them she felt like she needed a cheat sheet - sit up from his spot beside Tessi. 'Daddy, what's goin' on? Is Andrea's baby here?'

'Yes, sweetheart, the baby is here,' Agnes replied and Dell looked at her.

'I remember you, you are Andrea's mama. Do you have a grand-daughter like Mally and Tessi or a grand-son like me and RJ and Carey?'

'A grand-daughter.'

'Yea!' Without a second thought, Dell turned, poked at the little ones. 'Geddup everyone, the baby is here, it is time to visit the new mama and daddy and baby.'

'Dell, shh, you too noisy, go backa seep,' Tessi mumbled, which only served him to poke at her ribs.

'Tessi, the new baby is here.'

'I up.'

'Where? Where the baby?' Mallory was up with Carey and Violet looking around like a periscope. 'It here?'

'It's with Andrea, Mally,' Carey said, and since he was on the edge of the line of sleeping bags, he got to his feet and marched through the group of grown-ups to Agnes, took her hand. 'May we go and visit?'


	71. Full Dance Card: 76 Minutes Old

_Hello all! Can I just say a huge thank you to all you Crumbsians peeps who are reading, reviewing, favourite-ing and alerting, this story now has the highest number of reviews for ANY crumbsian story and one of the highest averages of reviews per chapter too! (Only Fireworks on the DL and Surrounded By Hatchlings are higher at 3.87 and 4 respectively [L&F's review per chapter ratio is 3.83]). Keep on sending out the good vibes and the good word to other peeps so we can get a possible 5 reviews per chapter!_

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><p>The first sensation Andrea was aware of when she awoke in her birthing suite was the sore muscles between her legs. Harvey said they'd given her a pain-killer and muscle relaxant cocktail in her IV after the birth itself was done but in Andrea's mind, it wasn't nearly strong enough.<p>

The next thing was she wasn't alone in bed. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw Daniel snuggled up behind her, his hand over her loose-jiggling belly. The breasts were still huge but the bulk of her belly had suddenly decreased now that the baby was here.

The baby, she thought looking at Nessa in the bassinet, her daughter. This gorgeous, unspoiled creature was her child. This was the magic that resulted from the love they'd made the night Daniel asked her to marry him. It seemed ages ago that momentous night had happened, thanks to everything that had gone on in the nine or so months since then. As she pondered whether or not all women had such dramatic pregnancies as hers or if she was just special that way, there was a light knock on the door and she lifted her head off the pillow to see Cam there with her mother, Stefan and Sean.

'Hey mama, you up for a little visit?' he asked softly, not wanting to wake the snoozing newborn.

'Oh for sure. Daniel.'

'Nuh.'

'Daniel, honey, wake up, the grandparents are here.'

At this, his eyes flew open and he was sitting upright with a grin on his face. 'Hey guys, come on in,' he whispered, climbed out of bed with Andrea. He went to the bassinet, scooped up little Nessa carefully so she wouldn't wake. 'Guys, this is Nessa. Nessa, this is Papa Brick, Uncle Sean and...I'm sorry Agnes, I don't know what to call you.'

'How about Nana? That goes well with Papa, don't you think Stefan?' Agnes asked the man and he nodded.

'I like that. Can I hold her?' he asked gruffly; he'd already gotten a few tears out when he'd heard Agnes tell them the full name of the baby in the lounge.

'Sure, here, careful with the head.'

Daniel passed his daughter to her grandfather and gave a watery laugh. 'Bet this brings back memories, huh?'

'Not at all. Sean was a total porker, almost ten pounds, and you had colic so you screamed bloody murder, didn't he Nessa?' Stefan cooed at the newborn. 'A small, silent baby is new territory for me.'

'Mom, you want to hold her,?' Andrea asked, and for the first time since her move back to New York, she saw the light of panic in her mother's eyes.

'I don't know if I'd be any good at it, honey-'

'You had me and I was the youngest of three, remember?'

'Okay.' Since pride was outweighing fear Agnes accepted the baby into her arms and sniffled a little when Nessa's arm worked loose of her blanket and she moved it around gently. 'Hello. Hello there, little one. I'm your nana, your mama's mom, and you and I are going to have so much fun together. You even have your own room at my house, you know.'

'We won't stay long,' Sean told them, 'you guys need your rest and I know there's a group of people just itching to see you beyond us.'

'Yeah, I bet they're all pretty anxious.'

'I mean those ankle-biters. They're all awake and chomping to see the new addition.'

'Oh, yes.' Andrea looked at Daniel. She wanted sleep, but she knew she had to get used to this now, as the baby would need to be feed every few hours so she nodded. 'I supposed a little visit or two couldn't hurt.'

'And to keep it timely we'll have them come in in little groups.'

* * *

><p>The first group to come in was Tessi, the twins and Kelley Mazzara, and Andrea couldn't believe how big Leo and Trini were already. She heard them chattering away like little parrots, and even picked up a few words amongst the nonsensical syllables. And Tessi was so patient with them, as Meredeth and Esposito hung back while the children visited their new friend.<p>

'Co...co...con-ga-too-la-tions,' Tessi said to Andrea and Daniel, stretching to her tips toes to see Nessa. 'She is _muy linda_.'

'That means pretty in 'Panish,' Kelley said. 'In 'Talian, we say _bella_.'

'Baby?' Leo, who was holding tight to his sister's hand looked up at her. 'Baby?'

'That's right, Leo, that's the new baby. Can you say Nessa?'

' 'Sa. 'Sa?'

'That very cuh...cuh-lose,' Tessi complimented her little brother, then looked at Trini. 'Tah-rini, can you say 'baby Nessa'?'

'Baby 'Sa,' Trini said, matching her brother's pronunciation and making her big sister roll her eyes.

'Mus' be a tah-win thingy.'

'Okay guys, time's up,' Meredeth said, and she tried not to pout along with her children. 'We'll be by to visit in the morning, right now other people want to take a turn and we all need to get home to bed.'

'Tay,' Trini said and waved brightly at Andrea, Daniel and the baby. 'A-dos, 'Sa.'

'A-dos, 'Sa,' Leo echoed, mimicking his sister's wave.

'See you guys in the morning.' Daniel waited until they were gone and chuckled. 'Man, Meredeth must have her hands full with that crew all the time.'

They didn't have much down time as the next wave was approaching - Dell, Mallory and RJ came in with their parents, and they brought a little gift bag each with them.

'Hi-hi, An-dee-ah! Hi-hi Daniel!' RJ hissed in an adorable stage whisper. 'We buh-ring puh-resants for Nessa.'

'That is very nice of you,' Daniel replied, and helped RJ sit up on the foot of Andrea's bed as she cuddled Nessa against her chest. 'I have a question, how are you guys all awake?'

'We too 'cited,' Mallory told him with a shrug. 'We wan' see Nessa.'

'May I hold onto her for a moment?' Dell asked politely, and was only mildly disappointed when Andrea shook her head.

'I'm sorry sweetie, but she's napping right now, and I don't want to wake her up.'

'Okay. Maybe when we visit tomorrow?'

'We'll see.'

It wasn't a 'no' and Dell could live with that. Satisfied, he stretched to his tip-toes and gave Nessa's back a little pat. 'You have a good nap, Nessa, we see you in the morning.'

'She need milk soon?' RJ asked, and actually patted his little chest. The 'B' word made him feel funny to say and he didn't care for the sensation at all. 'She gonna have a 'nack?'

'I think so. The nurse is going to tell us when Nessa gets a check up in a little while.'

' 'Mon Ah-Shay, Nessa nappin' she nee' guy-it.' Mallory put hands on Dell and RJ's shoulders to steer them towards the door, then gave Daniel a big hug. 'You gonna be In-ker-di-bi-ble Daddy, Daniel.'

'Thanks Mally.'

'Bye-bye Nessa, we see-ya soon.'

Ryan, Beckett and Castle stepped forward to have a quick look at the baby and whisper congratulations to the new parents; they knew they would have time to visit more in depth the next day. Tonight was just about reminding the new parents they had family who loved them no matter what. They collected their children after the presents were deposited on the counter with Lanie's plants to brighten the room, and Andrea and Daniel had a little time to themselves once more.

And once more it didn't last long, as the final wave made their way in the form of Rosie, Violet and Carey; Duncan was asleep in his father's arms. Like Dell, Mallory and RJ, they all had little gift bags in their hands which they put on the counter-top before going to have a look at Nessa.

'Oh, she's so _linda_,' Rosie sighed, looking at the baby with a little smile.

'Do her eyes match?' Carey added, blinking his own bi-coloured peepers. 'Or are they like mine?'

'He say 'bout ev-ee-one,' Violet said with a shake of her head, clearly used to hearing Carey gab about people's eyes. 'Nessa ve-wee pidy.'

Apparently, this was one visitor too many for Nessa, as she gurgled and wriggled against Andrea's breasts and began to make what she recognized as 'the fish face', the sign that she was a hungry little thing.

'Guys,' she told them softly, 'thank you for all your nice things to say, but it's time for Nessa to have a snack.'

'Oh, yes Andrea.' Rosie nodded; she knew from having a little brother how Nessa would feed and ushered Violet and Carey towards the door. 'We will give you your alone-time.'

As the little ones went towards the door, one of the lactation nurses came in to help Andrea begin breast-feeding once all the visitors were gone; Daniel watched the entire time and was tempted to make notes on his smart-phone in case he forgot anything in his sleep deprived state. Luckily, the nurse provided some literature for them, and when they were alone once more, Andrea giggled a little as Nessa nursed away.

'You'd think this feels like when we're getting romantic, but it _so_ doesn't,' she told her husband, who only laughed.

'I should hope not, that'd be more than a little weird.'

'Quite the day, huh Nessa?' Andrea said to her daughter, whose eyes were dark and fixed on her mother's, as if to ask _am I doing this right_. 'First there was Mama's little meltdown in bed this morning, then we went to the park, then Daddy insisted on bringing us to the hospital and it turned out you were ready to have your birthday today. And I know you've already got your first social engagement lined up.'

'Oh?' Daniel looked intrigued.

'Violet's birthday is on the sixth.'

'And so it starts. Right out of the womb, Nessa's a party-doll,' Daniel laughed, looking at his adorable baby girl.

There was a knock on the door, and Alexis poked her head in. 'Hey, you mind if Shane and I fit in one last visit? I have to go back to New Jersey tomorrow morning.'

'Of course, come on in.'

Daniel passed Andrea the receiving blanket to drape over herself so that he wouldn't have to poke out Shane's eyes with dull needles. 'You're good, Doctor,' he informed the man, who sat down beside him.

'Yeah, the only living breasts I have any desire to see up close and personal belong to that redhead,' Shane said, pointing at Alexis.

'Duly noted. Here, we got you a little something, I hope you like it.' Alexis held up the gift basket. 'It's all organic soaps and shampoos for the baby and yourself, so you don't risk any nasty chemical rashes.'

'That's so thoughtful, thank you so much.'

'Already a 'we', huh?' Daniel asked and Shane coloured in the cheeks a little bit.

'We're engaged, we want a life together, so we're starting with the small things.'


	72. Love in All Forms: 10 Hours Old

The following morning, Andrea was awake at six am to give Nessa her breakfast - unlike some of the babies in their circle, she'd figured that trick out pretty quickly - and wasn't surprised to see Honey-Milk walking in just as she was finishing up and had the baby against her shoulder to burp her.

'Hey Jenny.'

'Hey, where's your hubby?'

'He went downstairs to wait for his brother and father.'

'How are you feeling?' she asked. 'I didn't really get a chance to visit with you last night, but I heard all the little nose-miners were in for a snoop at their new buddy.'

'They were very excited to see Nessa, and they are very compassionate for such a little bunch.'

'How so?' Honey-Milk pulled up a chair beside Andrea, crossed her legs.

'Well, when they were visiting us last night, they actually listened the instructions of speak softly and be nice to the new baby.'

'They know if they don't listen, they don't get to do fun things with the babies.'

'That's understandable, I know-'

Andrea paused when she heard Nessa give a little squeak and she froze. 'Did you hear that too?'

'It's just the hiccups, sweetie.' Honey-Milk tried to hide her amusement at the first-time mother's look of slight panic. 'I started to do that, think of all the possible medical things that might be wrong with Dell when we learned he was hypoglycaemic, and the stress of worrying nearly killed me.'

'Right.'

'Knock-knock.'

Andrea glanced up, saw Daniel there with Stefan and Sean; her father-in-law carried a pair of cloth grocery sacks, and Sean had the video camera in his hands. 'Hey guys,' she said softly, noting that Honey-Milk had quietly slipped out. 'Nessa just finished her breakfast and she's got the hiccups.'

'Aw, poor little tyke. Hey, maybe you should try that thing you did for Leo back near Christmas.'

'Oh yeah, that's a good idea.'

Shifting her legs, Andrea laid Nessa on her back on the hospital bed and worked her little abdomen, cooing to her the entire time until she heard the massive burp and grinned as only a mother could.

'Oh, Nessa, that's very un-ladylike!'

'But Mama, I had bubbles in my tummy and I feel much better right now,' Daniel replied, giving his wife a kiss. 'She had a good breakfast?'

'You betcha. Nice wholesome milk, freshly squeezed,' she replied, winking at her husband.

'God, I love you, Andrea.'

'Love you too Daniel. What's in the bag, Stefan?'

'Breakfast.' Stefan plunked the bag on the table, rolled it close as he pulled out little wrapped bundles. 'Daniel mentioned you like that place Gennaro's for sandwiches, but we didn't know what you'd like so we got a variety of them.'

'How did you get them at six in the morning?'

'Special order,' Sean said. 'We got the salmon steak with horseradish mustard, barbecued beef on weck, a BLT on wheat and pollo-asada and those chips Daniel said you like.'

'That's right, Nessa.' Daniel scooped up his daughter, cuddled her close. She smelled so sweet and innocent, he could have spent centuries just like that with her against his chest, hiccups and all. Gently, he patted her back to work out the kinks. 'Mama had a busy time of it making sure you came out of her body, so she deserves something nice like that to eat, don't you think?'

Nessa squeaked, then sneezed with such force her little face crumpled up and she began to fuss, making her daddy soothe her in comforting tones.

'There, there, sweetheart, it's okay, just a sneeze, baby girl. Nothing to get freaked out about.'

The vibrations of his voice combined with his heartbeat has Nessa calming down into her little squeaks once more until they'd disappeared and she was quietly cooing once more. When she began to breathe deeply, and she was nodding off after all that excitement, Daniel laid her back in her bassinet; he glanced over when he heard Andrea sniffle and wasn't surprised to see her reaching for the tissues.

'Sorry, sweetheart, it's just the after-birth hormones. Harvey said this is normal,' she warbled, dabbing at her eyes.

'Sure it is, it's the same as adjusting to the baby being inside you. Now, the baby is resting, and you need to care of yourself too, so how about a sandwich? You want salmon, BLT, beef on weck or the other one?'

'Salmon, please. And those chips would be nice too.'

They ate, with Sean and Stefan being entertained by stories from the birthing room, namely how Andrea had cursed Daniel a blue streak When they came to the part about the name, Stefan waved a chip in the air at his son and daughter-in-law.

'You didn't name her Stefanie because I had a little spell, did you? Like in case I didn't make it?'

'No, actually she's named after you and my dad. It was one of the things Daniel and I bonded over when we first met,' Andrea said with a smile. 'Both our fathers were named Stefan, with the same spelling and everything, and we figured that was the name to pick to carry on a legacy since it was on both sides.'

'That's very cool.' Sean gulped down his mouthful of sandwich with ice-cold Coke; like Meredeth he wasn't a coffee drinker and preferred his caffeine carbonated and chilled. 'But where did Sinead come from?'

'I had this thing called an iBump,' Andrea started to explain, but was interrupted when Harvey and Cameron came in, both dressed in their scrubs. The latter's were particularly violent on the eyes - a garish neon the colour of nuclear limes and dotted with equally neon blue lightening bolts. 'Cameron, what are you wearing?'

'Scrubs I save for certain occasions. I had a bet going with Jenny that Nessa was a boy, and if I lost I had to wear these.' He gestured to himself. 'Are we interrupting brunch?'

'Something like that.' Stefan dusted off his hands, tugged his eldest son's sleeve discreetly. 'Let the doc do his thing, there Seanie-boy.'

'Right, right. We'll be outside if you need us.'

When they'd gone out of the room, Harvey nudged the table with the food out of the way so Cam could take Andrea's blood pressure and temperature while he gave her the pelvic exam for post-partum mothers. 'You are looking good Andrea, already starting to firm up again a little, but remember-'

'No matter how much it hurts, no ice packs. Does that mean straddling a frozen turkey is out of the question?' she asked simply, making Cam choke as he tried to turn a laugh into a cough.

'No ice packs, poultry, peas or otherwise.' Harvey smiled at her, then at Daniel. 'I am very proud of you both, and so happy for you, on a personal level as well as a professional one. I hope you won't think it inappropriate but I did get you a little gift.'

'Sir, you-'

'It's James,' Harvey interrupted Daniel gently. 'Only need for 'sir' or 'doctor' is when you're at work. Cam?'

The nurse came over with a blue bag with bright red and white stars on it, and Daniel briefly wondered if their friend had put on the ridiculous scrubs just so they would be distracted enough not to notice the gift bag being smuggled in. He watched Andrea unwrap the little package and held up the little blue onsie that had the _Bishijo Senshi Sera Mun _logo on the chest and on the tush it read in English _Sailor Poop_.

Andrea snorted through her nose. 'S- James where did you find this?'

'I told my wife you liked the show and that was all she needed to hop on Google and find something for Little Lady Brick.'

'You keep calling her that, I...' Daniel trailed off when Andrea pulled out a an infant sized set of scrubs with 'Little Lady Brick' on the pockets. 'Oh, God, James that is too cute? Lemme guess Lady Harvey?'

'No this one was me. She showed me the site where you can get custom stuff done like that. I got one that said 'Little Nurse Brick' too in case it was a boy.' Harvey, suddenly feeling a little bashful, folded his arms over his chest. 'I'm glad you like it.'

His pager beeped, and he nodded at Cam. 'We're needed in the ER, Nurse George. Let's roll. Andrea, the neonatal nurses will be by shortly to give Nessa a check-up.'

Andrea nodded as they left, then looked at her husband. 'So, ten hours as a daddy Daniel. How are you feeling?'

'Excited. Nervous. Exhausted.'

'That makes two of us.'

Daniel yawned widely, looked towards the door. His brother and father had just gotten there; he didn't want to be rude and send them away but he wanted to just cuddle up with his bride and his baby. His dilemma must have been terribly obvious as Andrea looked at her hubby and said to him, 'Honey, why don't you go and find a wheelchair?'

'A wheelchair?'

'Yeah, you can wheel me and Nessa down to the lounge to visit with your dad and brother while you grab some shut-eye in here.'

'Oh, sweetheart, no, it's okay.'

'Daniel you were there with me every step of the way in the birth, and okay I didn't the hard part but I wouldn't have lasted without you. Right, baby?' Andrea looked in the bassinet and saw Nessa's little chest rising and falling slowly as she napped. She grinned when the little girl wiggled her legs, flexed her fingers. 'She agrees.'

* * *

><p>After Nessa had her check-up and a bath - to everyone's surprise, Nessa didn't cry at the sensation of being in the water, making Daniel certain his daughter would be a scuba-head like her mama - and wrapped up in her Twelfth Precinct blanket along with her onsie, Daniel took his girls into the lounge of the maternity ward, where they found not only Stefan and Sean but Meredeth and Dave as well.<p>

'Hey mama! Oh, what a little peach!' Meredeth kept her voice low but excited as she sighed over the new addition. 'Oh, goodness, what a cutie-pie. Dave you think this is your son's future wife?'

'She just might be, the way he kept rubbing her belly and getting attached to hit

'And what if she'd been a boy?' Andrea asked with a small smile.

'I love my son, so if Nessa had turned out to be a boy, I'd tell Carey that you can't help who you love. The way Lanie and I met is proof of that,' Dave replied, all the while looking at Nessa. 'We came here to let you know that we're abducting Daniel for a few hours tonight.'

'And you are being invaded,' Meredeth added. 'Lanie, Kate, Lili and I are coming for a mamas only visit while the guys give Daniel a boys night of cards.'

'Just like when you were here with the twins?' Andrea asked.

'Yep.'

'Sounds like fun.'


	73. Where the Boys Are C

'Are you sure you're okay with this?'

'Daniel, I'm sure.'

'But-'

'It's a few hours, honey, and besides, you need a shower and a shave.'

Daniel dragged his hand over his cheeks in the way all men did to check their stubble growth. 'Are you sure?'

'Daniel.' Now Andrea used her stern nurse's voice when she had a patient fighting her; anyone who met her assumed she was a cream puff but they soon learned otherwise. 'You aren't running off to the strip club while I'm here with the little one, you're going to our friends' house to play poker for a couple hours so your friends can let you gush and be a new daddy. As I'm still on the ward, my girls are coming here to see me and Nessa.'

'Okay.'

'See there, big daddy?' Castle and Esposito appeared at the door of the suite as they watched Daniel help Andrea get to her feet and walk her to the bathroom suite so she could put on her own clothes for her visiting night. 'You'll be just fine a few hours away from your girls.'

'You'll have to be a lone for the ten minutes or so that we'll be taking Daniel downstairs. Meredeth drove us here, so I'm taking the car with the boys to Castle's and when your husband's won all our money,' Esposito said with a sly wink, 'we'll bring him back and pick up the ladies.'

'Sounds fantastic. Now excuse me a moment.'

On slightly wobbly legs thanks to the leftover epidural drugs in her system Andrea ducked into the bathroom of her birthing suite with her fresh clothes. While they waited, Esposito wandered over to have a look at Nessa and smiled. 'Dude, she's all up-top,' he commented, noting the size of the baby's head and shoulders. 'Andrea's a hero.'

'Twenty minutes of pushing when Nessa was crowning. Called me a...' Daniel trailed off, not wanting to swear around his little girl. 'Well, I'll tell you once she's out of earshot.'

'Yeah, don't make the mistake Kevin made. He taught Dell how to say 'shit' before he was three and Honey-Milk actually made him sleep on the couch for that one.'

'Intentionally or accidentally?' Castle asked absently, leaning over to looking at Nessa for himself.

'Accidentally. He was putting shelving together and smashed his hand with the hammer, swore before he could stop himself.'

Nessa gurgled softly, and yawned, began to blink her eyes awake. They were so dark and searching and when Daniel scooped her up, spoke softly to her, she flexed her long fingers and instinctively clutched at his shirt.

'Yeah, you got me, dontcha sweet-pea? You get to have your first girls' night with Mama tonight. Yeah, and you better tell me if they start talking trash okay? I don't want my little angel hearing all that dirty talk I know they sling around when they compare notes on their boys.'

'Well you know Nessa can hold her own that way, seeing as how Carey Parrish-Robbins was all but magnetized to Andrea's belly when she was pregnant,' Castle reminded him, and enjoyed the way Daniel gave him the evil eye.

'Ssh, don't give her ideas,' he hissed playfully.

'My son is already addicted to Trini.'

'Just what every father loves to hear,' Esposito fired back with a wan smile, then moved out of the way when Andrea came out of the bathroom, hair brushed back off her face and wearing comfy-looking satin pyjamas. 'Mere take you shopping for those?'

'No, they're hers, actually. She said I could borrow them as long as I needed them.'

'They suit you, sweetie.' Daniel gave her a kiss, passed her the baby. 'Okay, my lovelies, Daddy's gonna see if he can win some money for Little Lady Brick's social fund.'

'Wave bye-bye, Nessa. Bye-bye, Daddy, we see you soon.'

Andrea picked up her daughter's wrist, waved it at Daniel as he left with Esposito and Castle; it was the image Daniel took with him to remember that Andrea wasn't some soft weakling that couldn't be on her own. If anything she probably wanted a couple of minutes to herself without any noise.

Downstairs, just outside the main entrance to the hospital, Daniel saw Meredeth's snappy red Nissan and the writer herself popped out the driver's door while Beckett appeared from the passenger side. Both greeted their men with kisses before retrieving their gifts for Andrea.

'Have fun tonight, boys,' Beckett said, peaking into her gift bag. 'Don't take Ryan for all he's worth, okay?'

'Yes Mom,' Castle teased her, patted her backside. 'Don't trash-talk all of us, okay?'

'Deal.'

* * *

><p>At Castle's loft, they were greeted by Shane who was looking happy and relaxed which had the other men teasing him about spending the afternoon with Alexis in a very intimate way.<p>

'Is this all of us tonight?' Daniel asked. 'No Ryan or Cam or Gil or Dave?'

'Dave, Cam and Gil are all working, and Ryan and Jenny were having dinner with Ryan's parents in the Bronx,' Shane replied, twisting the top off a bottle of hard cider which he passed to Daniel, then handed beers out to everyone else. 'To Daniel, congrats on the safe arrival of your lovely little Nessa, and to Andrea for being such a champ.'

'Hear, hear,' Esposito agreed as they clinked bottles together. 'You hungry, Daniel?'

'Yeah, but I think my wife has given me orders to have a shower if I come back from the card table flat-busted,' he replied and Castle nodded.

'Upstairs, on the left across from Alexis' old room,' he directed the new father. 'Towels in the cabinet underneath the sink. We got some of your extra clothes when we went by your place to check on things last night.'

'Thanks.'

Daniel made his way upstairs, and a few minutes later, nearly wept under the hot spray of the shower. He hadn't showered in nearly two days and wondered how the hell Cam had lasted in Iraq for three tours. He reveled in the sensation of the soap on his skin, the fragrance of it as it warmed with the steam of the water and knew the first thing he'd do for Andrea when they got home was draw her a nice hot bubble-bath for her to relax in while he had a cuddle-fest with Nessa. IT was certainly doing wonders for him.

After what felt like an eternity in the luxuriously tiled shower, Daniel stepped out and dried himself, dressed in the jeans and t-shirt, the fresh boxers that had been set in the towel cabinet for him. When he jogged down the stairs, he felt like exactly what he was - a man who was a new father and taking a quick recharge break with his friends while Andrea had the same for herself at the hospital.

Taking his place at the table, he noted there was now the addition of pizzas from Petrelli's and he wrinkled his brow in confusion. 'How long was I in there?'

'Oh, these were already on their way here, I called the order in just before you and the gang got here,' Shane reassured him. 'You were only under for twenty minutes, tops. You want all-meats, Hawaiian, or the Meredeth special?'

'The Meredeth special?'

'Stuffed crust with provolone, green-peppers, onions and prosciutto,' Esposito told him. 'It's Meredeth's fave.'

'That one, then.'

'So, everything went well with the birth?' Shane asked, tearing a hunk of stuffed-crust off with his teeth and chewing thoughtfully. 'You were both pretty tired last night, it didn't really come up.'

'I've never heard Andrea swear like that in my life, not even when we were diving in the Bahamas and she was bit on the leg by a moray eel.' Daniel scratched the back of his head. 'She called me a worthless Irish shit-for-brains mother-fucker and a goddamn idiot monkey-fucker when Nessa was crowning. Oh and she also called Jenny a stupid, ignorant cow.'

'That's pretty good,.'

'Nothing beats when Meredeth had Tessi, that was a hard labour,' Esposito nodded, pointing at Daniel. 'You remember.'

'Oh yeah, what did she call you again?'

'Amongst other things, the love of my life called me a stupid goddamn fuckwit, and asked me to fuck off and die,' he chuckled. 'What about Beckett, Castle?'

'Kate, she was more about me not talking and just letting her yell, so it was more like shut the fuck up.'

'That's a lot of F-bombs, no? Shane asked, and got a knowing look from all three of the men.'

'Shane, when you and Alexis have your own babies-' Esposito started and Castle jumped in.

'-Which won't be for a _very_ long while, correct?'

'-You will understand we we're talking about.'

'I'll take your word for it.'

For whatever reason, whether it was the lack of sleep or the overwhelming last two days, or even the simple camaraderie between the men, Daniel reached his limit. He simply shoved his chair back a little from the table, put his chin on his chest and began to weep quietly.

None of the other men said anything to him, as two of the three others had been there more than once, and they knew that however strong they were for their women, when it all sunk in, they turned into a bunch of basket cases. Daniel, it seemed, was no exception - Esposito inched his chair closer and patted his friend's back.

'No worries bro.'

'I've never seen Andrea's face like that,' he said softly. 'It was scary as hell to watch her go through it.'

'Every man who's ever had a child thinks the same thing,' Castle told him gently as he shuffled the cards and dealt them while Daniel tried to pull it together. 'They want to take away the hell they know their women are going through. But they are both here now, safe and sound, and that's what is most important.'

'Exactly. Have they said when you get to go home?'

'Tomorrow. Nessa's already gained three ounces by bed time at seven o'clock tonight and filling diapers like clockwork, which means she's eating enough and that we can take her home tomorrow.'

'I'm on-shift tomorrow, but I'll see if Meredeth can help you guys head home,' Esposito offered.

'Thanks. Thank you, all of you.' Daniel looked around at the men's faces and tried for a grin. 'And here Andrea is thinking she's the wimp.'

'Most women say that in childbirth, Daniel,' Castle told him. 'I think it's one of those things where they think if they aren't picture-perfect like in films and television shows, they are mediocre wimps. Hell most of the men I know would be whimpering even with the drugs.'

'Did I ever tell you the story Mere todl me about her mother and the wounded combat soldier?' Esposito asked, and when all shook their heads, he glanced at his cards quickly, tossed in the hand. 'So we're on our way to the air base for my birthday and Meredeth starts telling me this story about her mother and this really arrogant jerkoff of a soldier...'


	74. Ladies' Night

While Daniel and the daddies were enjoying some time together in SoHo, Andrea was holding court with her ladies in her maternity suite; they managed to sweet-talk the ward nurse for a few more chairs. The only ones missing were Beckett, as she'd taken RJ to visit her dad for the night, and Honey-Milk, as she was working overtime that night.

'I'm surprised you're here, Lili,' Andrea commented as the woman sat down with her. 'I thought for sure you'd be home with the babies.'

'They are spending the night with their grandparents in Spanish Harlem. I told Mami I was coming here for a visit and she had she'd take them so I wouldn't have to rush the visit with you.'

'Your mom sounds pretty awesome.'

'There are times when we just lock horns-' Lili bumped her fists together '-but at the end of the day, I love her and she loves me.'

'I'm pretty sure I can say that about mine too,' Andrea said, rubbing Nessa's back in circles as she helped her baby burp up the last of her dinner. 'She turned her life around because of me and Daniel and Nessa, and isn't that the kind of person you want in your corner?'

'I'd say so.' Lanie smile winningly at her friend. 'Did I tell you she's getting a dog?'

'A dog?'

'Yeah, a boxer, she thinks. She mentioned it when we were in the lounge taking turns sitting with you during your labour, that she read having an infant around house pets on a regular basis like that helps protect against certain kinds of environmental allergies. Plus boxers are really loyal.'

'That they are,' Meredeth agreed, looking at the twins asleep in their pram and Tessi who was full of energy tonight and insisting on sitting by Andrea and watching Nessa carefully. Every so often, the little girl would reach over and tug at Nessa's onsie. 'Tessi, whatcha doin', princess?'

'She buh-reathing in her buh-lan-kie', Mami. We no want that.'

'Oh, yes, that's a good idea.' Nessa's blanket was no where near her mouth but Meredeth knew the girl's longing to be included with the big kids, to distinguish herself as the older sister from the twins, so she indulged her daughter. 'You want to work on your drawing, Tessi?'

'No, I baby-si' Nessa. I am a big sisser now, I know howa do it.'

'That you are,' Lanie agreed, then leaned forward. 'Tessi?'

'Yes Aun-tie Lanie?'

'Do you think Violet is going to be a good big sister?'

'Oh, yes, Lanie,' Tessi replied seriously, then her eyes went wide as she studied the doctor's body. 'You haffin' a baby 'gain?'

Lanie grinned widely, causing the other women to gasp excitedly.

'What!' Meredeth felt her jaw hit her shoes. 'Lanie, seriously?'

'Seriously. Dave and I just found out yesterday morning, when I took my fourth home pregnancy test and it came back positive. We're going to see Harvey for a sonogram day after tomorrow.' Lanie leaned back, patted her belly. 'He or she is already taking after Violet and playing nice with little to no morning sickness. I was sick as a dog twenty-four-seven for nearly a month with Carey.'

'Honey, congratulations!' Meredeth moved her chair closer, wrapped her arms around her friend. 'What did Dave say when you told him?'

'He's so excited, he's always wanted us to have three kids. I think he wants another boy, so Carey doesn't go through what he did, being the only boy. But more importantly.' Lanie covered Andrea's hand. 'You've inspired me, Andrea. I called my mother yesterday morning. You remember me telling you how we hadn't spoken in awhile?'

'I do.'

'Well, we had a good long talk, and it was kinda rocky at first, but by the end she told me she's thinking that maybe she might take a visit to see me here on Thanksgiving, see my babies and meet Dave.'

'Lanie that's awesome,' Lili said, genuinely proud of her friend.

'I know things between us will never heal completely, but at the least, now she knows a little bit of what's happened to me in the last five, six years. What do you think, Nessa?'

Nessa, who had been sitting in Andrea's lap and looking around at all of them while propped against Andrea's body, screwed up her little face into a massive sneeze. Such was the magnitude of it that she looked around before she began to whimper and cry. The sound of it had Andrea's own shaky hormones threatening to follow suit, but she scooped up her baby and held her close.

'Shh, shh, it's okay, Nessa, I know that was pretty freaky and weird, huh? Yeah, it's alright, Mama's here.'

'An' Tessi too.' Tessi's big blue eyes looked at the scared little Nessa and she patted the infant's leg awkwardly. 'She be o-tay? No, no. She be oh...kih..kih...o-kay?'

'Yeah, she's just so new to everything she has no idea what a sneeze is, sweetheart,' Andrea explained.

'Oh. Like when Leo had hiccups?'

'Something like that, princess.' Meredeth patted her lap, and Tessi squirmed her way over to her mother. 'And good job on those C's', Tessi-boo.'

'I am gettin' better.'

'You are indeed. There, see now, Nessa's just fine.'

She pointed to the calmed baby which had Tessi breathing a little sigh of relief; Andrea heard it too, and laughed a little.

'Are we stressing you out, Tessi?'

'No-no, Andrea, I jus' wan' see Nessa happy and we bein' loud.'

As if on cue, one of the twins began to stir and fuss a little, which had Meredeth sighing. 'I had a feeling this would happen. Sweetie, you know-'

'I get it, especially now that I have one of these myself. If you need to head home, don't worry about it. You can come and visit me in a day or two.'

'We buh-ring co..cookies,' Tessi said. 'What your faves? Mami make'em.'

'I don't think your mami might appreciate you pimping out her baking services,' Lili giggled.

'What that mean, _tia_ Lili?'

'It means volunteering someone to do something when you didn't check with them first,' Lanie explained gently, and Tessi nodded.

'Oh...kay, 'mon tah-wins. We no pippin' Mami co...cookies today.' Tessi went over, gave Nessa a gently kiss on the shoulder and Andrea on the cheek. 'You lemme know, Andrea, you tell me ona phone.'

'Okay, sweetheart.' Andrea couldn't help but laugh as she watched the group of Espositos head out, then sighed as she laid Nessa back in her bassinet since she was falling asleep again. 'Oh, there now, bet that's a little quieter.'

'Quiet doesn't exist anymore at their house,' Lanie said. 'Of course, even before they had kids, they had Arturo.'

'So, now that the little kids are gone we can talk a little more freely. How are the lady parts doing?' Lili asked, crossing her legs as she felt a sympathetic twinge.

'Sore, but not as bad as this morning. Harvey said I'm good enough already to go home tomorrow and so is Nessa, even though she was almost two weeks early.' Andrea stretched her arms, then because she wanted to and she knew it would make her feel much better, she flopped forward onto her hospital bed, sprawling her arms and legs so she looked like a steam-wilted starfish. 'Oh that feels good,' she sighed.

'Yeah funny how that happens,' Lanie commented, you get all stretched out down there during the birth then the next day you're like, oh, man, let me sprawl.'

'Nessa wasn't as big as Carey was, though,' Andrea said, turning to her back so she could see Lili and Lanie's faces. 'Makes me cringe more than a little to think how big she might have

'Well, I still think Meredeth gets the Wonder Woman medal for birthing babies, given that she's had twins.'

'I don't think it's a contest,' Honey-Milk said from the doorway, which had all of them looking over. She was in her street clothes and had her bag on her shoulder. 'No two births are identical, even with twins. Hi starfish,' she added to Andrea as she came over and saw her friend upside down and sprawled in the bed. 'Comfy?'

'As much as I can be.'

'Mere and the kids just left,' Lanie told their friend and Honey-Milk nodded.

'Yeah, I saw her on my way out of the locker room. Tessi said something about pippin' cookies?'

'Oh, oh, Lili, I think you've been the bad-influence aunt,' Lanie teased her and Lili blushed a little as she explained it to Honey-Milk.

'Wait until she figures out that Dell likes sugar-free brownies, then she'll be pippin' brownies too.'

'Hey, I have an idea.' Lanie pulled a DVD of _Arsenic and Old Lace_ out of her purse. 'I brought this with me, just in case you were feeling up to it, Andrea.'

'Like you need an excuse to watch a Carey Grant movie.' Lili looked at Andrea. 'How 'bout it, Mama? Think it's too soon to educate Nessa on what good comedy is?'

'Never too early for that.'

* * *

><p>When Daniel returned from his poker night with the boys, he wasn't surprised to see Nessa in the bassinet and Andrea lying in bed with her eyes closed, listening to her iPod with only one earbud so she could listen to something soft while still tuned in to their daughter.<p>

'Hey, there's my girls,' he said softly, coming into the room and giving Nessa and Andrea soft, gooey looks. HE watched her eyes flutter open, focus on him with just as much love as he gave her. 'How was your night?'

'Absolutely delightful. Tessi got to have a visit with the baby, and then we took Nessa down to the lounge and watched _Arsenic and Old Lace_. We just tucked in after a little bed-time snack.'

'Any hot gossip you wanna share?'

'Lanie's pregnant,' Andrea said with a happy little wiggle for her friend.

'And that's good?'

'Yep, her and Dave were actually trying on purpose this time, which must have felt weird to them, considering Carey and Violet were both surprise babies. She's going to visit Harvey for the check up day after tomorrow.'

'Well, good for them, then.' Daniel toed off his sneakers, and then ditched his shirt, tapped at Andrea's knee. 'Scoochie on over, darling.'

She did so, and watched as he plucked Nessa up from her bassinet, put her in the bed between the two of them. The way her little nostrils flared as she sighed out her nose, the way her fingers flexed and curled, even the little gurgles she made in her sleep, all of it was her daughter, Andrea thought with pride. She'd brought this beautiful creature into the world with the most wonderful man she could think of. Stroking a fingertip gently down Nessa's cheek, she sighed contentedly.

'Daniel, you know we can't sleep like this, right?'

'I know, I just wanted a group hug.'


	75. Home Time: 42 Hours Old

The next morning, after a quick examination, Andrea was declared ready for home. It felt so strange to think two days had gone so quickly and even funnier to think they were leaving the hospital with their baby. She knew Daniel was videoing her as she dressed Nessa in one of the onsies from one of Nessa's many admirers; she knew she was horribly jiggly and sweaty and didn't care as she looked into the lens and smiled with new-motherly pride.

'It's August fifth and Nessa is going home today,' she told him, and whoever the audience might be that would view this film. 'She is two days old, and she's already gained a couple of ounces.'

'What is our little fashion plate wearing today?'

'This onsie is from the House of Weaver, and is a chipper leaf green, made of one hundred percent organic cotton with the 'Cute as a Bug' decal on the chest.' Andrea affected a snooty accent like a Fashion-Week commentator, making Daniel laugh.

'Nessa, you better hope you get your mama's sense of humour, just like you got her hair.' Daniel loved being able to pick out those features, seeing what bits of himself and Andrea had mingled together to make this gorgeous child.

Putting the camera on stand-by, he picked up Andrea's bag and his own and double-checked they weren't forgetting anything. His heart melted when he saw Andrea attach the tiny little sandals to Nessa's feet, coo at her that cool shoes were one of the perks of being a lady. His beautiful girls, he thought with a surge of pride. The one he'd found and the one he'd help make.

'Okay, we've got everything ready to go, including Nessa's bag of booty in her little Coach bag.' Daniel still couldn't believe Meredeth had actually given Andrea and Nessa matching little tote-bags - one would function as a diaper bag, the other as a little hand tote for whatever - but it had come in very handy to put in all the gifts Nessa had received from her friends. Her first birthday presents, he thought with a little smile.

'And we are ready to go over here, aren't we Nessa? We're ready to head home with Daddy aren't we? Oh! Oh look!'

Daniel hurried over and saw his daughter trying to pucker up her lips in an adorable imitation of her mother's smile. 'Hey, look at that, Nessa! You're smiling!'

He whipped out the still camera and caught a few pictures of it, then kissed her forehead. 'Oh, you are going to be a heartbreaker for sure.

'Hey everyone, we ready for home?'

The new parents glanced over to see Honey-Milk there with a wheelchair; as the baby-carrier was already in Meredeth's car so they could drive home, hospital protocol dictated that Andrea be wheeled out by a nurse.

'Yep, we are all set to go, aren't we Nessa?'

Nessa gurgled, flexed her fingers as Andrea scooped her up and took her seat with Honey-Milk, who escorted them to the elevator and downstairs through the lobby.

'You are going to have a great time with her at home. Even if you felt a little awkward and clumsy learning things in the hospital, you'll feel much more natural when you're in your own space,' she told them. 'I was that way with Dell, thinking how the hell am I going to do this, and then you realize you set up your nursery at home so that you don't panic.'

'How...no, it's okay, I'm sure it's in the literature and the books.'

'Andrea, you two delivered both of my babies with Jim Harvey. Ask away, darling.'

'How will I know the different cries? Like what if I think she's hungry but she wants a nappy change or something?'

'You'll learn. It sounds like such a cliche, but it's true. Like with Dell, when he was hungry, he'd scrunch up his face and wave his arms around a lot and it was higher pitched. If he needed a fresh bum, he was deeper, less in the head and more in the belly.'

'Okay.' Andrea frowned a little, looked at Nessa. 'We'll figure it out, won't we sweet-pea?'

When they were outside, it didn't take long to see Meredeth there with her red Nissan. Daniel deposited the bags in the trunk, then whipped out the camera once more to take pictures of Nessa going home. Now he understood how those people on TLC wanted their first hours as parents filmed like that - now that he had one himself, Daniel didn't want to miss a second of these precious moments with her.

'Here we are,' Honey-Milk sang, stopping the chair and watching Andrea get to her feet with the baby. When Nessa had been secured in her car-seat, she waited until Andrea turned around and threw her arms around her friend. 'Congrats again, girl,. We'll see you tomorrow at Lanie and Dave's.'

'You got it. Thanks again.' Daniel gave Honey-Milk a little embrace as well and then slipped into the seat beside Meredeth while Andrea strapped into the backseat with Nessa, and he noticed, Leo in the almost-one year-old . 'Hey little man, what are doing here?'

'Mami zoom.'

'That's right we're going zoom in the car,' Meredeth encouraged him. 'Leo loves going in the car almost as much as Arturo does.'

'Du-woh, Mami?'

'Arturo's at home, baby. Everyone ready to go?'

'Yep we are.' Andrea grinned at Nessa as they eased away from the curb and saw Nessa blinking her big blue-green eyes at the sensation overload of being in the car with new sights and sounds and smells. 'We are on our way home to Gramercy Park, Nessa, you are going to love it there.'

'Ola 'Sa.' From his spot in his car-seat, Leo gave the baby a shy little wave. He smiled when Nessa turned towards his voice. ' 'Sa hap-py?'

'I think she is very happy, she is excited to see her new room at my house.'

'Fissies?'

'There are some fishies in it.'

'Dessi fissies.'

'That's right, Tessi has fishies in her room,' Daniel agreed, twisting from the front seat to see how the delicate cargo was holding up, and to speak to Leo too. 'Nessa's room has a sunken ship and coral reefs in it too.'

'Ooooh, linny,' Leo declared with his big brown eyes shining, making Meredeth laugh.

'You are your father's son Leo. Javi loves to do interior decorating, a passion which I didn't realize was a passion until we were getting ready for Tessi before she was born,' Meredeth said as she turned east onto Twenty-Second street. 'How are you doing, Andrea?'

'We're just great, Mere.'

When they made it through traffic, pulled to the curb outside Andrea and Daniel's building, Meredeth helped them with their bags and gave them each a hug; Leo was also permitted to give Nessa a little kiss, a point of pride which Daniel knew would have the little boy bragging for days.

The new family headed upstairs, telling Nessa the entire time about the room she was going to see there. When they unlocked the door, they stopped short to see Agnes fussing with something on the kitchen table. She glanced up when she heard them come in, face flush with anticipation.

'Oh, darlings, you're here earlier than I thought you would be! Here, let me take those, Daniel.' Agnes took the bags from her son-in-law and set them down by the couch before returning to the kitchen table, where Andrea could see it was a little posse of marine-life stuffed animals - there was a dolphin, a hammerhead shark, a few stuffed fish and even a little moray eel. They were all holding some kind of baby related items like bottles, onsies and diapers in front of a small poster that read 'Welcome Home Nessa!'

'What's this?'

'I asked your friend Lanie last night what a nice little welcome home might be for you two, and she told me how all of the family had done something like this for her, only with jungle animals to match Carey's nursery. I'd already gotten these little stuffed animals for Nessa anyways, so I thought, what the hell, borrow from the masters.'

'It's wonderful Mom, really, but right now, Nessa needs a nap, she was awake almost the entire ride home.'

'Oh, of course, darling, of course.' Agnes stepped aside so Andrea could go into the nursery. 'I'll be right out here. I know it's only about four o'clock but would you like some dinner?'

'Pizza,' Andrea replied almost instantly, and so wistfully Daniel had to swallow a laugh.

'Pizza it is.'

'The menu is on the fridge,' Daniel instructed the woman, and went with his wife into the nursery so they could put the dozing Nessa into her crib. He watched her tuck the baby in, and he reached over himself to turn on the baby monitor. 'There we are my little sweet-pea, now we can hear you if you start to wake up.'

Nessa just gurgled and sighed in her sleep and the sound of her, the sight of her at home with them had Andrea's waterworks backing up. She simply turned towards Daniel and sobbed softly, his big arms coming around her and holding her close.

'It's alright, my love, we both know this is going to happen every now and then,' he murmured, kissing the top of her hair. 'Besides, you're overtired and you need a shower desperately.'

'That a dig?'

'No, a reminder that even you aren't Wonder Woman, though some days it's easy to confuse you two.' Daniel tilted her chin up and thumbed away the remnants of her tears before he pressed his lips to hers. 'Go under the water for a few minutes and just take a moment or two for yourself, okay?'

'Okay.'

Andrea kissed him once more, then headed into the bathroom where she rent through the habitual, mechanical routine of turning on the faucets, testing the water-temp before flipping the lever to raise the water to the shower head. Once she'd skinned down and was just letting the water run over her body Andrea felt a little more human.

She'd done it, she'd had a baby. Little Nessa, the most beautiful baby in the world. Things might have started off rather rocky, what with Walsh just happening to mention it to Daniel like he already knew and having to change the date of the wedding. Now looking back, Andrea couldn't imagine having done it any other way, as every step and misstep had led them here - married for nearly six months with a brand-new baby girl.

Andrea stayed under the water for nearly half an hour, but in that time she did a thorough shaving of her legs, a task she could do independently once again, and then scrubbed off all the dirty and grimy sweat that had accumulated since the morning of the third when they'd been in Strawberry Fields for Sloan's exhibit.

Once dressed in comfy, relaxing clothes, she went into the living room where Agnes and Daniel were watching _Bringing Up Baby_ on TCM. The baby monitor was propped up by Daniel's feet and she picked it up, curled into Daniel's side as she felt his arm slide down the couch to pull her close.

It was good to be home.


	76. Time After Time: 3 Days Old

_Hello all my adorable Crumbsians! Here we are, the last chapter of Lost and Found! But as per us, not to fret there is another one in the works, and we are moving away from baby fluffiness to something a little more dramatic and grittier (kinda like following up Pretty Dead with the s3 finale of the show) involving Shane, Alexis and Kate investigating a case with someone from Shane's past! Also, spread the word, let's see if this one can crack 300 reviews! For the last time on this one, read, review, love and share!_

* * *

><p>'Oh God, am I glad to see you!'<p>

Dave's greeting had Andrea and Daniel blinking a little bit when they arrived at the Parrish-Robbins house for Violet's birthday party; Daniel had Nessa in her carrier while Andrea clutched the gift for Violet in her hands. Their host's expression was one of pure relief, so much so that Andrea wondered if something had happened to one of the children.

'Dave, you okay?'

'Yes, just that Lanie's at the end of her tether with Carey asking me when Nessa is going to be here,' he replied, stepping back to welcome them in. The apartment smelled of children - crayons and milk, along with the sweet candy undertones of birthday treats, and was decorated in a _My Little Pony_ theme; pink, purple and gold sparkly decorations festooned every available surface, it seemed. 'Carey! Violet! Your first guest is here!'

There was the sound of little pattering feet, and both Parrish-Robbins children scampered out of the kitchen, eyes going wide with excitement as they were followed by a rather exasperated Lanie.

'Yea! Nessa here!' Violet clapped her hands, then carefully peeked at the baby in her carrier. 'Hi-hi, Nessa!' she whispered in an excited hiss.

'Mama, may I hold her?' Carey asked. 'I gotta puh-ractice for my new baby.'

'You'll have to ask Andrea and Daniel,' Lanie replied as the new parents came in with the gift and the baby, set the former on the table and took the latter to the couch. 'They are Nessa's mama and daddy.'

'Andrea, may I hold onto her?' The little boy looked at her with such earnestness that Andrea had a hard time saying no.

'Okay, but you do exactly as I say, you understand?'

'Yes, Andrea, I am a good listener.'

She patted the space beside her on the couch and Carey wiggled into place. Andrea positioned his arms, then gently laid Nessa there, keeping a supportive arm underneath so her little bobble-head wasn't in danger. 'There we are, Carey, you're very good at that.'

'I'm a big brother,' he said proudly, 'and I'm gonna be a bigger brother soon too.'

'San-Paddy's,' Violet chipped in. 'New baby in Marsh.'

Nessa gurgled and cooed and to Andrea's surprise, Carey shushed her gently. 'There, there, little Nessa, your big bro has you. Me an' Violet are gonna make sure you stay safe.'

Daniel's heart went to utter goo as he watched Carey give Nessa a little kiss, make an exaggerated face when she sneezed; it was the first time she did so without crying and she just gurgled pleasantly at the boy.

'Think it's another romance?' he asked Lanie as she came into the room with soft drinks for them.

'No, I just think that Carey is going to use Nessa as his crash-test baby since there's one more on its way,' Lanie said, just as proud of her boy with the new baby. He looked up and blinked his multicoloured eyes at his mother.

'Nessa is a good baby, Mama,' Carey said. 'She isn't cryin' or fussin', just suh-neezing.'

'She niffy,' Violet added. 'She have ler-shies?'

'No, I don't think she has allergies,' Andrea chuckled; what a bright little bunch they were. 'I think she's just still getting used to everything around her. This is her first visit out of her house, remember?'

'Oh yeah. Here, Nessa, you go back to Mama now.' Carey held his arms away from his body and Andrea took the baby back, cuddled her close. 'You be good and maybe your mama will have some cake and ice-cream, and you can taste it when you have your milk from her.'

'That's not quite how it works, honey,' Lanie chuckled.

There was a knock on the door, and Lanie answered it to see Beckett and RJ on the other side. Carey and Violet leaped up from their spots to greet him, pull him into the room.

'RJ, Nessa is here already!' Carey said excitedly.

'Okay, just remember today is about Violet's birthday, right?' Dave reminded his son, pleased when Carey nodded.

'Yes, Daddy. I remember.'

* * *

><p>Unlike Carey's birthday in June, this time the parents hung around, as they wanted to see the new baby, and Violet was proudly telling anyone who would listen to her that Nessa and she were going to be best friends since they were both born in August. Andrea wondered what it said about the little girl that she was spending her own birthday party sharing the spotlight with her newborn friend. Everyone who came through the door was greeted with a smile and a re-direct towards the baby, with Violet reminding them to be nice since Nessa was so little.<p>

When they were all there, the party games began with their version of Hot-Potato, with Violet naming Nessa an honorary referee, giving Andrea a berth in the game to play for the little girl since Nessa was 'way li'l', according the the birthday queen.

'You payin' for her, Andrea,' she declared, which had the other children nodding as Violet went over to the couch where Andrea was seated with Nessa on her lap.

'We don' want her to be left out,' Rosie agreed. 'She gonna think we don' love her.'

'Love Nessa!' RJ insisted, appalled by the idea. 'Love Nessa bunches, right Tah-rini?'

'Lossa.' Trini nodded.

'Of course we love Nessa already, she's one of us,' Dell said with such simple conviction Andrea's small happy sniffles nearly turned into full-on blubbering. 'You think maybe she's going to go to Saint Bart's with me and Mallory, or will she go to the same school as Rosie?'

'I don't know yet, honey.'

'I'd like her to go to my school, but maybe it's too far away from her house. Here.'

The boy came over to Andrea and took a tissue out of the box, patted her cheeks. 'There, no more tears, Andrea, or do I need to tell you a joke?'

'I think she could do with a joke.' Daniel leaned in, gave Andrea a little hug. 'But it better not have any bad words in it.'

'Of course not. Where does a penguin keep his money?'

'I don't know.'

'In a snow bank.'

Andrea genuinely giggled, making Dell smile and her own tear droplets dry up. 'Oh, thank you Dell, that was just perfect.'

'Now you and Nessa are going to join in with us?'

'Of course.'

Lanie and Meredeth, who were already sitting on the floor with the other children, watched with pride as their friend scooped up her baby, came to sit with them on the floor. She'd come so far in such a short space of time, her and Daniel both; even at Saint Patrick's day they'd still been hesitant to join in. Now they were diving in hands-first - both women knew Andrea's tears were mostly about being a new mom - as when Andrea completed the circle of children with her and Nessa's presence, Daniel went into the kitchen with Dave and Esposito to help get the fixings ready for hand-made kid-size pizzas for dinner along with adult-sized pies as well.

'So does this work?' Andrea asked, noting the stack of oversized novelty cards in the middle of the circle.

'We have the Hot Potato,' Lanie said, holding up the stuffed toy, 'and if you have the Hot Potato in your hand when they music stops you take a card. If you spell the word 'hot' you're out.'

'Got it.'

'No worries, I gonna be Nessa's big buh-rother.' Carey scooted closer to the baby, scrunched up his cheek so his green-eye winked at Nessa. 'I help her out. You make sure no-one else cheats because she is so little.'

'No shee!' Leo looked afronted at the notion. 'Mami, no shee!'

'I know you won't cheat, Leo.'

'Okay, here we go!'

Daniel heard the sounds of the children's game going on from the kitchen and grinned as he dumped diced ham into a little bowl. 'They do love our baby, don't they?' he said to Ryan, Dave and Esposito, who all nodded in tandem.

'Just wait until Nessa starts talking, she'll be talking about her own little secret society before she's three,' Esposito replied as he diced green and red peppers. 'I'm already convinced Leo and Trini have their own language the way they babble to each other.'

'Well the way she was getting gifts and hugs and kisses in the hospital, you might need to get her a little baby iPad or something to keep her play-dates organized,' Ryan added, nicking a mushroom from the pile he'd chopped.

As if to prove his point, Dell came into the room and went right over to his dad, wrapped his arms around his father's waist. 'Daddy?'

'I know that tone, young man, what are you after?'

'Can Nessa come over to play next week? I know she's little but she can still be there and be included.'

'I'll talk to Daniel and Andrea, see what we can come up with.'

'Yea!'

Dell zipped off again, making Daniel laugh, and since his task was finished, he wandered into the living room to watch his beautiful girls, saw the way the children just accepted Nessa as one of their own. When he saw Lanie and Meredeth packing up the game, getting ready for the next one he went over to Andrea and kissed her, took Nessa into his arms.

'I got her, you go grab a drink or something.'

'Okay.' Andrea kissed Daniel's cheek, and Daniel deftly grabbed her back for one on the lips, making the boys voice their disgust as only little boys could. She turned back to Carey and Dell, whose faces were puckered up like they'd swallowed a tablespoon of lemon juice. 'You can say ewww all you want, guys, in about ten years or so, you'll figure out what the big deal is.'

' 'Mon Daniel!' Violet chirped. 'Time fo' nudder game!'

Now it was Andrea's turn to watch Daniel with their little girl as they played Pony bingo, and this time it was little Mallory and Duncan who were helping Daniel with Nessa's scorecard. When Nessa actually won the first bingo, Violet told her mother to get the 'pishal pize' for Nessa which turned out to be a bottle decorated with multi-coloured sparkly stars, for 'pishal times'. She watched her husband with their daughter and sighed with nothing but pure love as he played along with the kids and the other grown-ups who were helping supervise. When she saw Castle and Daniel high-five together over a rare square they both had, watched RJ and Trini and Tessi do the 'feed the birdies' hand-shake with Nessa, a single word flashed through Andrea's mind.

_Family_. That's what they were now, and what a hell of a trip it had been to get them here.

By the time Violet was ready to do the candles on her cake, she was the first one up front with a camera as Violet insisted the other August baby be right by her side with the 'In-ker-di-bi-ble Daniel' to help her blow them out.


End file.
